Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Etten-Leur

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,416 in Etten-Leur, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Etten-Leur
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,416
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Etten-Leur

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 Etten-Leur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,416 in Etten-Leur.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Etten-Leur $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $3,764 in Etten-Leur.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Etten-Leur $3,764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $5,113 in Etten-Leur.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Etten-Leur $5,113

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 36% less than in Etten-Leur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Etten-Leur 79% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$22.50 €20.01
-45.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$95.6 €85.1
-42.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$13.34 €11.86
-30.88%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.04 €3.59
8.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$3.54 €3.15
-52.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.99 €2.66
-80.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$6.12 €5.45
-23.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$5.34 €4.75
10.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.34 €1.19
-9.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.06 €1.83
-56.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.50 €2.22
-12.40%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.87 €4.33
-51.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$14.77 €13.14
-29.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$14.40 €12.81
-60.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$18.13 €16.13
15.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.68 €2.39
-29.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.38 €2.11
-2.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$1.82 €1.62
-29.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$5.90 €5.25
-69.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$2.02 €1.80
-67.82%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$2.13 €1.89
-69.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.36 €1.21
-8.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.73 €0.65
-23.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$14.13 €12.57
-83.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$6.98 €6.21
92.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.51 €1.35
58.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.53 €2.25
37.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.52 €3.13
-74.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$89.5 €79.6
-24.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$3.40 €3.02
-62.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.65 €1.46
-44.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$22.17 €19.72
-50.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.37 €2.11
-37.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$41.3K €36.7K
23.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$37.9K €33.7K
17.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$190 €169
-53.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$26.59 €23.65
-56.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$47.04 €41.84
-66.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$19.50 €17.35
295.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$26.27 €23.37
-13.44%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$15.18 €13.50
-46.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$679 €604
48.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$5,341 €4,751
378.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$84.9 €75.5
-36.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$49.65 €44.16
-17.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$89.3 €79.4
10.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$148 €132
-34.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,340 €1,192
-26.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$1,134 €1,009
-42.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,392 €2,128
-17.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$2,098 €1,866
-43.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$4,242 €3,773
-26.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$4,330 €3,851
-58.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Etten-Leur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.89
951.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Etten-Leur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Etten-Leur
$1.1K 74.6% $485
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Etten-Leur
$350 34.7% $90
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Etten-Leur
$336 50.4% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Etten-Leur
$167 28.1% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Etten-Leur
$264 127% $148
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Etten-Leur
$50 46.6% $44
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Etten-Leur
$115 49.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,340 in Etten-Leur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $96.0 in Etten-Leur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $350 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇳🇱 Etten-Leur
🕒 Local time
02:54 2:54 AM
01:54 1:54 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
43,027
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Etten-Leur 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Etten-Leur

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 Etten-Leur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Etten-Leur cheaper than Istanbul?
Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $3,624 in Etten-Leur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Istanbul and Etten-Leur?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,340 in Etten-Leur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Etten-Leur?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $96.0 in Etten-Leur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Etten-Leur?
All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $2,416 in Etten-Leur – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Etten-Leur?
At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,416 in Etten-Leur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Etten-Leur. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Istanbul or Etten-Leur more family-friendly?
For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Etten-Leur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Etten-Leur?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Etten-Leur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Etten-Leur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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