Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Figueres

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,771 in Figueres, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Figueres
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Figueres

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,771 in Figueres, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Figueres $1,771

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,506 in Figueres, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Figueres $2,506

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,241 in Figueres, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Figueres $3,241

Istanbul is about 14% cheaper than Figueres, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Figueres sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Figueres by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺592
$18.70 €16.63
-36.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,834
$44.98 €40.01
27.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺471
$9.42 €8.38
0.96%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.31 €2.05
90.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.6
$2.22 €1.97
-21.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.57
$1.44 €1.28
-61.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺233
$2.76 €2.45
70.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺304
$3.83 €3.41
60.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.6
$1.19 €1.05
4.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.25
$1.51 €1.34
-37.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$2.37 €2.11
-3.80%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺121
$3.51 €3.13
-30.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺523
$13.47 €11.98
-21.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺272
$8.24 €7.33
-33.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,072
$15.73 €13.99
37.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺90.6
$2.49 €2.21
-26.51%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$1.61 €1.43
42.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.4
$2.07 €1.84
-38.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.1
$2.59 €2.30
-29.73%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.74
$1.84 €1.63
-64.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.14
$2.04 €1.81
-69.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺62.8
$1.38 €1.23
-7.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.62
$0.73 €0.65
-23.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$6.20 €5.51
-61.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺642
$5.47 €4.86
137.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$1.18 €1.05
110.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$2.17 €1.93
61.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.77
$1.58 €1.41
-48.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,228
$36.75 €32.69
77.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺65.7
$3.51 €3.13
-62.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.60
$1.33 €1.18
-32.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺540
$25.43 €22.62
-57.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺70.7
$1.74 €1.54
-17.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$34.6K €30.8K
43.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$28.1K €25.0K
53.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,395
$160 €142
-44.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺579
$18.11 €16.11
-35.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺797
$50.2 €44.67
-67.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,776
$45.34 €40.33
68.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,125
$16.93 €15.06
34.20%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺409
$8.92 €7.94
-7.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.2K
$478 €425
112.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$7,211 €6,414
258.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,636
$86.4 €76.8
-38.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,008
$36.10 €32.11
12.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,956
$89.1 €79.3
12.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,630
$128 €114
-26.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.4K
$903 €803
8.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.0K
$764 €679
-17.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.0K
$1,321 €1,175
49.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺56.8K
$1,043 €928
9.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺153.2K
$3,054 €2,716
1.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.5K
$2,163 €1,924
-17.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Figueres
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.1K
$1,500 €1,334
-19.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
3.3
1133.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Figueres: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Figueres
$764 21.8% $137
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Figueres
$268 1.9% $5.1
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Figueres
$242 8.8% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Figueres
$153 18.1% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Figueres
$228 95.9% $112
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Figueres
$63 31.9% $30
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Figueres
$53 28.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $903 in Figueres. 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 24% higher in Figueres, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $45.00 in Figueres. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Istanbul vs $268 in Figueres – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇪🇸 Figueres
🕒 Local time
19:58 7:58 PM
18:58 6:58 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
47,879
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Figueres 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Figueres

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 Figueres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Figueres cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Figueres is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,656 in Figueres. 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Figueres?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul and $45.00 in Figueres. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Figueres?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,525 in Istanbul and $1,771 in Figueres. That's a gap of about 16%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Figueres?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Figueres at $1,771. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Figueres it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Figueres more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Figueres?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Figueres makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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