Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Frascati

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,738 in Frascati, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Frascati
Learn more

Frascati Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Frascati

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Frascati

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,738 in Frascati.

Istanbul $1,550
Frascati $1,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,620 in Frascati.

Istanbul $2,415
Frascati $2,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,502 in Frascati.

Istanbul $3,281
Frascati $3,502

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 11% less than in Frascati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Frascati 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$22.42 €19.95

-45.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$66.0 €58.7

-17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$14.29 €12.72

-35.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.09 €1.86

110.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.01 €2.68

-44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.47 €1.31

-59.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.71 €5.97

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.93 €7.05

-25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.75 €1.56

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.20 €1.95

-59.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.94 €2.62

-25.51%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.73 €4.21

-50.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.80 €13.17

-29.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.23 €10.88

-53.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$19.42 €17.27

7.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.56 €2.28

-25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.35 €2.09

-1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.46 €2.19

-47.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.40 €2.13

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.43 €1.27

-54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.55 €1.38

-58.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.39 €1.24

-10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.54 €0.48

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.12 €6.33

-66.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.46 €4.86

145.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.63 €1.45

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.52 €2.25

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.68 €1.50

-47.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$41.89 €37.26

60.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.71 €3.30

-65.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.25 €1.11

-26.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$30.64 €27.26

-64.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.08 €1.85

-29.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.9K €31.9K

41.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.4K €30.6K

29.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.6 ₺4,387

$204 €182

-56.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.59 ₺574

$11.32 €10.06

2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$31.88 €28.35

-50.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$61.1 €54.3

26.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$21.97 €19.54

3.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$11.21 €9.97

-27.39%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$477 €424

111.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$16.7K €14.8K

53.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$71.7 €63.7

-24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.52 €32.48

11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$82.0 €73.0

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$122 €108

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$718 €639

37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$567 €505

14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,158 €1,030

71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$877 €780

34.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,883 €2,565

8.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,991 €1,771

-10.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,498 €2,222

-51.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.5

1069.14%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Frascati: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Frascati

$567 32.6% 12.7% $83

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Frascati

$326 18.8% 25.7% $67

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Frascati

$315 18.1% 40.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Frascati

$140 8.1% 7.5% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Frascati

$247 14.2% 113% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Frascati

$83 4.8% 10.6% $10

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Frascati

$59 3.4% 23.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $718 in Frascati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frascati pays 107% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $66.0 in Frascati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $326 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇹 Frascati

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

22,087

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Frascati 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Frascati

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 Frascati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Frascati. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $718 in Frascati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $66.0 in Frascati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,738 in Frascati – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,738 in Frascati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Frascati. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Frascati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Frascati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Frascati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.