Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Jurmala

For one person, living is cheaper in Jurmala: $1,288 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Jurmala
Learn more

Jurmala Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Jurmala

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Jurmala

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,288 in Jurmala, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Jurmala $1,288

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,898 in Jurmala, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Jurmala $1,898

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,509 in Jurmala, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Jurmala $2,509

Istanbul costs about 18% more than Jurmala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Jurmala is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$13.70 €12.26

-13.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$62.1 €55.6

-11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.89 €7.96

4.16%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.69 €1.51

154.44%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.97 €0.87

82.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.58 €0.52

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.19 €4.65

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.36 €2.11

201.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.21 €1.08

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.45 €1.30

-39.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.42 €2.16

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.57 €3.20

-31.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$10.49 €9.39

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.40 €3.94

20.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$13.84 €12.39

52.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$2.16 €1.93

-13.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.76 €1.57

30.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.55 €2.28

-52.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.24 €2.90

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.83 €0.74

-16.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.89 €0.80

-28.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.74 €1.56

-21.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 €0.64

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.44 €4.87

-56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.64 €6.83

70.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.93 €1.73

22.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.00 €1.79

66.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.14 €1.02

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.42 €3.06

-62.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.99 €0.89

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$18.10 €16.19

-38.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.72 €1.54

-13.95%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$26.8K €24.0K

81.53%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$30.2K €27.1K

38.83%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$257 €230

-63.91%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.19 €10.02

0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$13.78 €12.33

15.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$18.73 €16.76

298.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.96 €8.02

-10.16%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$558 €499

69.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$17.8K €15.9K

107.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$68.6 €61.3

-21.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$50.2 €44.87

-17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$84.5 €75.6

19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$140 €125

-34.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$451 €403

124.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$367 €328

70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$683 €611

193.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$507 €454

122.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,136 €1,016

0.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.2

862.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jurmala: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Jurmala

$367 28.5% 41.3% $258

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Jurmala

$242 18.8% 6.3% $16

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Jurmala

$193 15% 12.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Jurmala

$154 12% 19.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Jurmala

$282 21.9% 135% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Jurmala

$37 2.9% 59.6% $54

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Jurmala

$13 * 1% 82.8% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $451 in Jurmala. 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 $62 in Jurmala. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $242 in Jurmala – so Jurmala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇻 Jurmala

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

57,671

💱 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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Jurmala 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Jurmala

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 Jurmala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,932 in Jurmala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jurmala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $451 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $62 in Jurmala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jurmala, where all-in costs run around $1,288, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Jurmala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jurmala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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