Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kos

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Kos: $1,519 and $1,525 a month, rent and utilities included.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Kos
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Kos Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kos

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,525 in Kos, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kos $1,525

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,288 in Kos, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kos $2,288

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,052 in Kos, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kos $3,052

Istanbul and Kos have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Istanbul and Kos sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Kos by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$14.26 €12.70

-17.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$68.2 €60.7

-19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$11.36 €10.11

-18.49%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.29 €3.82

0.23%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$3.13 €2.79

-43.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.10 €0.98

-49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$4.36 €3.89

7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$6.55 €5.83

8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.39 €2.13

-47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.57 €1.40

-43.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.72 €2.42

-19.12%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.47 €3.98

-45.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$13.27 €11.82

-21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$10.01 €8.91

-46.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$15.13 €13.47

39.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$2.23 €1.98

-16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.09 €1.86

10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.28 €1.14

-4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.02 €1.80

-10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.14 €1.02

-39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.15 €1.02

-44.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.06 €0.95

28.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.85 €0.76

-31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.28 €4.70

-55.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$6.58 €5.86

98.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.99 €1.77

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.56 €2.28

29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.74 €1.55

-49.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$49.95 €44.48

32.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.54 €4.04

-71.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.00 €0.89

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$16.59 €14.77

-33.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.04 €1.82

-27.45%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$27.4K €24.4K

77.50%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.5K €22.7K

64.78%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$205 €183

-54.80%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$23.29 €20.74

-51.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$34.79 €30.98

-54.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$53.2 €47.36

40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$20.90 €18.61

9.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$9.03 €8.04

-10.85%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$417 €371

127.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$9,127 €8,127

304.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$89.2 €79.4

-39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$39.82 €35.45

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$95.2 €84.7

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$125 €112

-27.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$614 €547

65.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$424 €377

47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$732 €652

173.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$587 €523

91.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,468 €2,197

21.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$2,413 €2,148

-28.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$904 €805

25.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.44

810.36%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kos: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kos

$424 27.8% 32.1% $201

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kos

$291 19.1% 12.7% $33

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kos

$251 16.5% 13.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kos

$157 10.3% 21.5% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kos

$263 17.3% 120% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kos

$71 4.7% 21.5% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kos

$66 4.4% 11.6% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $614 in Kos. 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 26% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $68 in Kos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $291 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇷 Kos

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

02:15 2:15 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

30,947

💱 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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Istanbul
Kos

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,287 in Kos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $614 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $68 in Kos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Kos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,525 in Kos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Kos has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,525 in Kos. 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.