Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Leggiuno

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,937 in Leggiuno, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Leggiuno, Italy
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Leggiuno
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,937
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Leggiuno

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,937 in Leggiuno, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Leggiuno $1,937

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,958 in Leggiuno, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Leggiuno $2,958

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,978 in Leggiuno, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Leggiuno $3,978

Istanbul is about 21% cheaper than Leggiuno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Leggiuno sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Leggiuno by 43%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺595
$25.54 €22.81
-53.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,847
$79.2 €70.8
-27.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺473
$9.86 €8.81
-3.55%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺219
$1.66 €1.48
165.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺87.0
$3.51 €3.14
-50.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.71
$1.71 €1.52
-67.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺234
$5.47 €4.89
-13.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺306
$5.60 €5.01
9.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.9
$1.53 €1.36
-18.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.48
$3.28 €2.93
-71.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺114
$2.87 €2.56
-20.56%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺122
$3.22 €2.88
-23.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺525
$30.99 €27.68
-65.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺274
$11.00 €9.83
-50.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,077
$34.21 €30.55
-36.71%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺91.0
$2.48 €2.21
-26.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺114
$1.79 €1.60
27.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.7
$3.26 €2.91
-60.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.5
$3.45 €3.08
-47.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.89
$2.08 €1.86
-68.27%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.29
$2.92 €2.61
-78.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺63.1
$2.00 €1.78
-36.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.75
$0.72 €0.64
-22.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$6.83 €6.10
-65.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺646
$5.56 €4.97
133.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$1.90 €1.70
30.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$2.27 €2.03
54.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.97
$1.70 €1.52
-51.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,244
$42.05 €37.56
55.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺66.0
$4.34 €3.88
-69.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.82
$1.19 €1.07
-24.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺543
$34.81 €31.09
-68.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺71.1
$2.09 €1.87
-31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$35.8K €31.9K
38.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$34.6K €30.9K
24.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,416
$269 €240
-66.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺582
$10.39 €9.28
12.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺800
$30.14 €26.92
-46.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,794
$56.2 €50.2
35.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,130
$23.55 €21.03
-3.52%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺411
$12.58 €11.24
-34.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.5K
$547 €489
85.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$10.1K €8,994
156.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,649
$127 €114
-58.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,017
$44.23 €39.50
-8.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,979
$85.7 €76.6
16.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,653
$141 €126
-33.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.6K
$739 €660
32.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.2K
$565 €505
10.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.5K
$1,151 €1,028
71.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺57.1K
$882 €788
30.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺154.0K
$2,910 €2,599
6.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.9K
$2,022 €1,806
-11.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Leggiuno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
3.62
1024.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Leggiuno: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Leggiuno
$565 9.8% $62
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Leggiuno
$430 63.9% $168
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Leggiuno
$313 41.1% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Leggiuno
$179 38.4% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Leggiuno
$309 165% $192
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Leggiuno
$81 12.4% $11
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Leggiuno
$59 20.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $739 in Leggiuno. 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 $57 in Istanbul versus $79 in Leggiuno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $430 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇮🇹 Leggiuno
🕒 Local time
03:30 3:30 AM
01:30 1:30 AM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
3,500
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 49.75 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.7 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Leggiuno 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Leggiuno

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 Leggiuno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Leggiuno?
Yes – Leggiuno is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,906 in Leggiuno. 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 Leggiuno, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $739 there versus $977 in Istanbul.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $547 in Leggiuno. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Leggiuno?
Groceries cost about 64% more in Leggiuno, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Istanbul or in Leggiuno?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,525 in Istanbul and $1,937 in Leggiuno. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Istanbul or in Leggiuno?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,525 in Istanbul to $1,937 in Leggiuno. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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