Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Imatra

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,789 in Imatra, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Imatra
Learn more

Imatra Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Imatra

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Imatra

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,789 in Imatra, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Imatra $1,789

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,700 in Imatra, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Imatra $2,700

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,611 in Imatra, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Imatra $3,611

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Imatra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Imatra sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Imatra by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.99 €9.79

7.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$56.3 €50.2

-2.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.99 €8.00

3.00%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.50 €4.01

-4.44%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.94 €2.62

-39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.96 €1.74

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$7.62 €6.79

-38.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$8.78 €7.81

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.30 €1.16

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$2.67 €2.38

-67.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.37 €2.11

-7.17%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.14 €2.80

-22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.75 €7.79

19.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$14.40 €12.82

-63.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$21.78 €19.39

-3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$2.25 €2.01

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.11 €1.88

9.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.46 €2.19

-50.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.97 €3.53

-54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.24 €1.11

-44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.86 €1.66

-65.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$2.76 €2.45

-50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$2.07 €1.84

-71.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$12.60 €11.22

-81.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$16.18 €14.41

-19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$3.14 €2.80

-24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$3.41 €3.04

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$3.40 €3.03

-74.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$65.7 €58.5

0.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.38 €3.90

-70.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.29 €1.15

-34.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$65.3 €58.1

-83.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.36 €2.10

-37.29%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$36.9K €32.9K

31.76%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$38.1K €33.9K

10.20%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$131 €117

-29.35%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$24.55 €21.86

-54.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$24.03 €21.39

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$41.92 €37.33

78.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$21.76 €19.38

5.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$17.75 €15.80

-54.65%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$325 €290

191.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$12.6K €11.2K

193.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$95.3 €84.9

-43.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$48.94 €43.57

-15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$101 €90.1

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$156 €139

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$799 €711

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$639 €569

-2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,226 €1,092

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$1,027 €915

9.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$4,039 €3,596

-26.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$2,166 €1,929

-20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

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 Imatra: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Imatra

$639 35.7% 2.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Imatra

$377 21.1% 46% $119

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Imatra

$244 13.7% 10.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Imatra

$181 10.1% 39.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Imatra

$180 10.1% 50.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Imatra

$77 4.3% 14.7% $13

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Imatra

$90 5% 19.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $799 in Imatra. 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 in Istanbul versus $56 in Imatra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $377 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇫🇮 Imatra

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

24,919

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 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 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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Imatra 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Imatra

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 Imatra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul, $1,789 in Imatra – Istanbul comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,683 in Imatra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imatra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $799 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $325 in Imatra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,789 in Imatra. That makes Istanbul about 15% cheaper.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,789 in Imatra. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,789 in Imatra. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.