Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Fethiye

For one person, living is cheaper in Fethiye: $1,439 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Istanbul, Turkey
Fethiye, Turkey
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,516
/mo nomad
Fethiye
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,439
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Fethiye

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 Fethiye actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,439 in Fethiye, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,516
  • Fethiye $1,439

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $2,163 in Fethiye, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,356
  • Fethiye $2,163

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,888 in Fethiye, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,197
  • Fethiye $2,888

Istanbul costs about 5% more than Fethiye, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Fethiye sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Fethiye by 6%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.59 ₺577
$10.04 ₺500
15.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,723
$64.1 ₺3,190
-14.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 ₺468
$9.50 ₺473
-1.16%
Cappuccino
$4.23 ₺211
$3.49 ₺174
21.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₺85.6
$2.15 ₺107
-20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₺28.24
$1.42 ₺70.7
-59.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.65 ₺232
$3.99 ₺199
16.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 ₺341
$6.19 ₺308
10.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 ₺59.9
$1.07 ₺53.3
12.15%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 ₺46.94
$1.60 ₺79.8
-41.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 ₺112
$2.61 ₺130
-14.18%
Eggs
$2.42 ₺120
$2.24 ₺111
8.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 ₺510
$13.49 ₺672
-24.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.38 ₺268
$6.08 ₺303
-11.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.19 ₺1,055
$27.27 ₺1,358
-22.30%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ₺94.2
$1.62 ₺80.8
16.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.22 ₺111
$2.37 ₺118
-6.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 ₺62.7
$1.43 ₺71.3
-11.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 ₺89.9
$1.35 ₺67.4
34.07%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 ₺34.82
$0.85 ₺42.44
-17.65%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.11
$0.76 ₺37.83
-15.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$1.72 ₺85.7
-29.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₺27.34
$0.76 ₺37.95
-27.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.32 ₺116
$2.83 ₺141
-18.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.31 ₺663
$14.97 ₺745
-11.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 ₺116
$2.39 ₺119
-2.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 ₺172
$3.06 ₺153
13.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ₺45.15
$1.38 ₺68.8
-34.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.3 ₺3,304
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.05 ₺251
-74.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 ₺42.63
$1.01 ₺50.5
-14.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺552
$4.94 ₺246
124.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ₺70.7
$1.51 ₺75.3
-5.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.2K ₺2.4M
$49.9K ₺2.5M
-1.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K ₺2.1M
$44.2K ₺2.2M
-3.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.7 ₺4,370
$77.2 ₺3,843
13.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ₺562
$10.60 ₺528
6.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺791
$23.20 ₺1,155
-31.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.9 ₺3,780
$58.4 ₺2,906
30.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 ₺1,147
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.20 ₺408
$7.86 ₺391
4.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,028 ₺51.2K
$501 ₺25.0K
105.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K ₺1.3M
$7,890 ₺392.9K
229.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,656
$102 ₺5,067
-47.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.69 ₺1,977
$56.4 ₺2,810
-29.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.8 ₺4,969
$152 ₺7,571
-34.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,658
$118 ₺5,863
-20.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,003 ₺50.0K
$753 ₺37.5K
33.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 ₺31.3K
$546 ₺27.2K
14.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 ₺97.7K
$1,031 ₺51.3K
90.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 ₺55.9K
$752 ₺37.4K
49.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,075 ₺153.1K
$1,975 ₺98.4K
55.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,753 ₺87.3K
$1,305 ₺65.0K
34.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Fethiye
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,180 ₺58.7K
$1,356 ₺67.5K
-13.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
38.25
6.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fethiye: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$628
Fethiye
$546 13% $82
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Fethiye
$302 16.9% $44
Eating Out
Istanbul
$218
Fethiye
$197 9.4% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Fethiye
$193 49.5% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$115
Fethiye
$111 3.4% $4
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$92
Fethiye
$74 19.7% $18
Getting Around
Istanbul
$76
Fethiye
$16 * 79.3% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $753 in Fethiye. 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 15% higher in Fethiye, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $64 in Fethiye. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $302 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇹🇷 Fethiye
🕒 Local time
13:05 1:05 PM
13:05 1:05 PM
Same time as Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
170,379
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.8 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.58 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
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  • Istanbul Fethiye 490 km
From you
  • Istanbul
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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 Fethiye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fethiye cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $2,158 in Fethiye. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fethiye, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $753 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Fethiye?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $64 in Fethiye. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Fethiye?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is Istanbul or Fethiye more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Fethiye – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Fethiye?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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