Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Heist-op-den-Berg

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,141 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Heist-op-den-Berg
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,141
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Heist-op-den-Berg

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 Heist-op-den-Berg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,141 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Heist-op-den-Berg $2,141

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,045 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Heist-op-den-Berg $3,045

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,950 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Heist-op-den-Berg $3,950

Istanbul is about 28% cheaper than Heist-op-den-Berg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Heist-op-den-Berg sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Heist-op-den-Berg by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺607
$23.60 €21.06
-47.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,700
$97.9 €87.4
-44.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺455
$12.01 €10.71
-23.23%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺217
$4.29 €3.83
2.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺82.8
$3.36 €3.00
-50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.31
$2.61 €2.33
-77.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺232
$4.53 €4.04
3.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$4.30 €3.84
37.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺59.8
$1.07 €0.95
13.08%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺43.97
$2.42 €2.16
-63.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.88 €1.68
16.49%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.16 €3.71
-43.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺514
$18.25 €16.28
-42.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺279
$11.11 €9.92
-49.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,033
$21.34 €19.05
-1.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺93.8
$2.92 €2.61
-34.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.60 €2.32
-11.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.0
$2.56 €2.28
-50.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺88.7
$2.66 €2.37
-32.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.07
$2.38 €2.12
-72.69%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.82
$1.90 €1.69
-66.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺61.9
$1.50 €1.34
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.50
$1.16 €1.03
-51.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺117
$12.38 €11.05
-80.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺662
$8.49 €7.57
58.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.17 €1.94
10.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.00 €1.78
74.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.70
$2.77 €2.47
-67.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,328
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺63.9
$4.95 €4.42
-73.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.56
$2.34 €2.09
-60.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺541
$22.67 €20.24
-51.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.7
$1.94 €1.73
-24.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$38.4K €34.3K
32.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$35.4K €31.6K
25.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,374
$202 €180
-56.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺572
$24.25 €21.64
-52.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺781
$55.3 €49.34
-71.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,809
$30.84 €27.52
150.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,122
$20.25 €18.07
12.30%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺402
$14.63 €13.06
-44.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.8K
$960 €857
4.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$19.0K €16.9K
34.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,663
$103 €92.1
-47.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,015
$45.83 €40.90
-10.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,881
$106 €95.0
-7.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,768
$166 €148
-41.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.6K
$833 €743
18.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.1K
$900 €804
-27.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺97.9K
$1,449 €1,293
36.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.2K
$1,030 €919
14.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺154.9K
$4,661 €4,160
-32.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺87.9K
$3,268 €2,917
-45.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Heist-op-den-Berg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.5K
-
-
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 Heist-op-den-Berg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Heist-op-den-Berg
$900 38.6% $251
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Heist-op-den-Berg
$350 34.7% $90
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Heist-op-den-Berg
$331 48.5% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Heist-op-den-Berg
$190 45.1% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Heist-op-den-Berg
$282 143% $166
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Heist-op-den-Berg
$60 35.7% $33
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Heist-op-den-Berg
$28 * 64% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $833 in Heist-op-den-Berg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $98.0 in Heist-op-den-Berg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $350 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇧🇪 Heist-op-den-Berg
🕒 Local time
09:49 9:49 AM
08:49 8:49 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
41,365
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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 = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Heist-op-den-Berg 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Heist-op-den-Berg

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 Heist-op-den-Berg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heist-op-den-Berg cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Heist-op-den-Berg is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,211 in Heist-op-den-Berg. 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Heist-op-den-Berg?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $2,141 in Heist-op-den-Berg. That's a gap of about 38%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $960 in Heist-op-den-Berg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Heist-op-den-Berg?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Heist-op-den-Berg at $2,141. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Heist-op-den-Berg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Heist-op-den-Berg 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 Heist-op-den-Berg?
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, Heist-op-den-Berg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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