Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Epsom

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,480 in Epsom, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Epsom
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,480
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Epsom

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Epsom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,480 in Epsom, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Epsom $2,480

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,657 in Epsom, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Epsom $3,657

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,835 in Epsom, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Epsom $4,835

Istanbul is about 38% cheaper than Epsom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Epsom sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Epsom by 84%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$25.45 £19.09
-51.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$93.9 £70.4
-41.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$10.33 £7.75
-10.75%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$5.22 £3.91
-15.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$3.34 £2.50
-49.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$3.33 £2.50
-82.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$8.81 £6.61
-46.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$7.85 £5.89
-24.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.83 £1.37
-33.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$1.98 £1.49
-55.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.17 £1.62
0.92%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.49 £3.37
-47.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$11.99 £8.99
-13.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$8.98 £6.74
-37.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$15.47 £11.61
35.36%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.97 £2.23
-36.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.40 £1.05
65.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.91 £2.19
-56.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.25 £2.44
-44.62%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$2.03 £1.52
-67.98%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.85 £1.39
-65.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.13 £0.85
10.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.85 £1.39
-69.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$23.91 £17.94
-90.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$12.64 £9.48
6.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.94 £2.21
-18.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$3.09 £2.32
12.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.42 £2.56
-73.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$96.7 £72.6
-30.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$4.88 £3.66
-73.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.65 £1.99
-65.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$25.98 £19.49
-57.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.16 £1.62
-31.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$37.6K £28.2K
35.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$40.2K £30.2K
10.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$333 £250
-73.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$16.60 £12.46
-30.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$45.06 £33.81
-64.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$45.74 £34.31
68.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$17.94 £13.46
-54.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$2,030 £1,523
-50.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$30.6K £22.9K
-16.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$90.0 £67.5
-40.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$45.64 £34.24
-10.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$101 £76.1
-2.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$95.7 £71.8
0.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,220 £915
-19.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$1,016 £762
-36.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,099 £1,575
-5.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,671 £1,253
-29.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$7,191 £5,395
-56.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,924 £2,944
-54.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Epsom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$3,921 £2,941
-69.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
5.12
699.22%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Epsom: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Epsom
$1K 56.4% $366
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Epsom
$326 25.5% $66
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Epsom
$384 71.8% $160
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Epsom
$150 14.7% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Epsom
$394 240% $278
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Epsom
$82 12.6% $12
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Epsom
$129 67.2% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,220 in Epsom. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 225% higher in Epsom, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $94.0 in Epsom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $326 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇬🇧 Epsom
🕒 Local time
06:22 6:22 AM
04:22 4:22 AM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
31,489
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Epsom 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Epsom

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Istanbul vs Epsom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Istanbul and in Epsom compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $2,480 in Epsom – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Istanbul compared to Epsom?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,720 in Epsom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Istanbul and Epsom?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $94.0 in Epsom. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Istanbul or Epsom?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $2,480 in Epsom. That's a gap of about 60%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Epsom at $2,480. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Epsom it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Istanbul and Epsom?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $2,480 in Epsom. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Istanbul or Epsom safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Istanbul and Epsom?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Epsom makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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