Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hasselt

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,005 in Hasselt, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Hasselt
Learn more

Hasselt Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Hasselt

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hasselt

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,005 in Hasselt, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Hasselt $2,005

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,025 in Hasselt, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Hasselt $3,025

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,045 in Hasselt, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Hasselt $4,045

Istanbul is about 23% cheaper than Hasselt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Hasselt sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Hasselt by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

$22.57 €20.17

-45.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,700

$102 €90.8

-46.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$13.48 €12.05

-31.60%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

$3.67 €3.28

19.89%

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

$3.67 €3.28

-54.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$3.20 €2.86

-81.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$5.12 €4.58

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.60 €5.00

5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

$1.31 €1.17

-7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.97

$2.52 €2.25

-64.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.23 €1.99

-1.79%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.31 €2.96

-29.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

$7.93 €7.09

31.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$11.52 €10.30

-50.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

$23.13 €20.67

-9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

$2.01 €1.80

-5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.73 €1.55

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$2.58 €2.31

-50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.7

$2.59 €2.32

-30.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.07

$1.79 €1.60

-63.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.82

$1.30 €1.16

-50.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

$1.06 €0.95

17.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.50

$1.05 €0.94

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$13.02 €11.64

-81.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

$9.04 €8.08

48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.61 €1.44

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.00 €1.79

74.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.71

$3.14 €2.80

-71.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,328

$32.49 €29.03

107.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$5.68 €5.08

-77.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.56

$2.66 €2.38

-65.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$36.34 €32.47

-69.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

$1.99 €1.77

-26.13%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.6K €31.8K

42.71%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.9K €30.3K

31.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,374

$205 €183

-56.69%

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

$11.59 ₺572

$19.80 €17.69

-41.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$46.52 €41.57

-66.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,809

$27.36 €24.44

182.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,122

$9.17 €8.20

147.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$15.14 €13.53

-46.24%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$1,591 €1,421

-36.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$32.8K €29.4K

-22.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,663

$110 €98.3

-50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,015

$52.0 €46.50

-21.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,881

$103 €92.2

-4.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,768

$133 €119

-27.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$936 €837

5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$794 €709

-18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.9K

$1,444 €1,290

37.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.3K

$1,193 €1,066

-1.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.9K

$4,517 €4,036

-30.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

$2,384 €2,131

-25.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

$3,034 €2,711

-60.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.46

1082.66%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Hasselt

$794 39.6% 22.2% $144

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Hasselt

$310 15.5% 19.3% $50

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Hasselt

$329 16.4% 47.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Hasselt

$179 8.9% 37.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Hasselt

$271 13.5% 134% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Hasselt

$58 2.9% 38.3% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Hasselt

$64 3.2% 16.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $936 in Hasselt. 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 152% higher in Hasselt, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $102 in Hasselt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $310 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇪 Hasselt

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

74,694

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.24 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Hasselt 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Hasselt

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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $2,005 in Hasselt – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,007 in Hasselt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $1,591 in Hasselt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Hasselt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Hasselt at $2,005. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hasselt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $2,005 in Hasselt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hasselt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.