Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Leeuwarden

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Leeuwarden $2,569

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,793 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Leeuwarden $3,793

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $5,018 in Leeuwarden, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Leeuwarden $5,018

Istanbul is about 40% cheaper than Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Leeuwarden sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Leeuwarden by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$21.90 €19.48

-43.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$113 €101

-51.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$15.35 €13.66

-39.93%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.85 €3.42

14.29%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.64 €3.24

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.93 €2.61

-79.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.73 €5.99

-30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.24 €4.66

12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.17 €1.04

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.86 €1.65

-52.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.42 €2.16

-9.50%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.26 €3.79

-44.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.58 €11.19

-17.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$14.26 €12.69

-60.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.76 €14.02

32.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.29 €2.04

-17.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.48 €2.20

-6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.91 €1.70

-32.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.12 €4.55

-64.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.76 €1.57

-63.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.91 €1.69

-66.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.17 €1.04

6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.97 €0.86

-42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$13.98 €12.44

-83.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.20 €6.40

86.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.85 €1.65

29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.73 €1.54

101.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.40 €3.02

-73.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$129 €114

-47.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$8.81 €7.83

-85.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.83 €3.41

-75.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$49.76 €44.27

-77.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.45 €2.18

-40.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$41.7K €37.1K

21.68%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$39.2K €34.9K

13.55%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$365 €325

-75.75%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$43.62 €38.80

-73.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$45.88 €40.81

-65.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.11 €33.01

107.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$18.37 €16.34

23.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.79 €14.93

-51.52%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,330 €1,183

-24.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$22.7K €20.2K

12.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$114 €101

-52.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$39.36 €35.01

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$129 €115

-23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$135 €120

-28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,380 €1,228

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,022 €909

-36.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$3,779 €3,361

-47.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,582 €1,407

-25.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,620 €3,220

-13.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$3,276 €2,914

-45.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,004 €2,672

-59.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.38

834.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8% 57.3% $372

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7% 25.3% $66

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2% 51.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3% 43.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7% 292% $339

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8% 24.4% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6% 121% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,380 in Leeuwarden. 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 149% higher in Leeuwarden, 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 $113 in Leeuwarden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $325 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

91,992

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Leeuwarden 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Leeuwarden

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 Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Leeuwarden is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,853 in Leeuwarden. 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 $1,330 in Leeuwarden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Leeuwarden, 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 Leeuwarden at $2,569. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Leeuwarden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.