Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hanko

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,861 in Hanko, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Hanko, Finland
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Hanko
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,861
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hanko

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $1,861 in Hanko.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Hanko $1,861

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $2,871 in Hanko.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Hanko $2,871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $3,882 in Hanko.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Hanko $3,882

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 18% less than in Hanko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Hanko 38% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$15.59 €13.89
-24.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$87.7 €78.1
-37.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$11.91 €10.60
-22.25%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$5.30 €4.72
-18.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$2.92 €2.60
-39.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$1.96 €1.75
-71.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$7.63 €6.80
-38.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$8.80 €7.84
-19.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.30 €1.16
-3.85%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$2.66 €2.37
-66.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$2.40 €2.13
-8.33%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$3.25 €2.89
-25.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$8.79 €7.83
19.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$14.35 €12.77
-63.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$21.25 €18.92
-0.71%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$2.36 €2.11
-21.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.05 €1.83
12.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$2.58 €2.29
-52.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$3.83 €3.41
-53.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$1.29 €1.15
-46.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$1.94 €1.72
-67.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$2.86 €2.54
-52.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$2.07 €1.85
-71.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$12.57 €11.19
-81.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$15.92 €14.17
-18.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$3.05 €2.71
-22.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$3.35 €2.98
-0.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$3.31 €2.94
-73.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$64.4 €57.3
2.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$4.30 €3.83
-70.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$1.32 €1.17
-35.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$65.1 €58.0
-82.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$2.39 €2.13
-38.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$36.7K €32.7K
32.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$36.9K €32.9K
13.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$130 €116
-28.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$24.93 €22.19
-55.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$23.80 €21.19
-33.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$43.21 €38.47
72.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$22.16 €19.73
3.56%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$17.98 €16.01
-55.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$324 €289
192.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$12.8K €11.4K
187.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$97.5 €86.8
-44.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$48.46 €43.15
-14.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$101 €90.4
-0.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$151 €135
-39.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$777 €692
30.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$660 €588
-5.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$1,216 €1,083
64.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$1,030 €917
9.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$3,965 €3,531
-24.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$2,135 €1,901
-18.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Hanko
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$4,534 €4,037
-74.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
3.51
1051.57%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hanko: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Hanko
$660 5.7% $36
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Hanko
$375 45.4% $117
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Hanko
$299 35.5% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Hanko
$179 38.6% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Hanko
$179 49.3% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Hanko
$79 12.8% $12
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Hanko
$88 17.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $777 in Hanko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanko pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $88 in Hanko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $375 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇫🇮 Hanko
🕒 Local time
05:39 5:39 AM
04:39 4:39 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
8,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Hanko 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Hanko

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 Hanko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Hanko?
Istanbul is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Istanbul or Hanko?
On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Istanbul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Istanbul and Hanko?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $777 in Hanko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $948 in Istanbul versus $324 in Hanko. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Hanko?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Hanko. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Istanbul or in Hanko?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Istanbul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Hanko?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Hanko?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Hanko are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Istanbul wins on affordability, Hanko on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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