Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lelystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,716 in Lelystad, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Lelystad despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Lelystad
Learn more

Lelystad Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Lelystad

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lelystad

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,716 in Lelystad, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Lelystad $1,716

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,666 in Lelystad, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Lelystad $2,666

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,616 in Lelystad, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Lelystad $3,616

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Lelystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Lelystad sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Lelystad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$22.35 €19.88

-44.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$85.3 €75.9

-35.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.13 €11.68

-29.78%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.23 €3.76

4.02%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.61 €2.32

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.32 €2.07

-74.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.40 €4.80

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.51 €4.01

31.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.25 €1.11

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.61 €1.43

-44.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.43 €2.16

-9.88%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.39 €3.91

-46.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$6.65 €5.91

56.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$14.17 €12.61

-60.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.69 €14.85

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.22 €1.97

-14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.49 €2.21

-7.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.86 €1.65

-31.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.41 €3.03

-47.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.67 €1.49

-61.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.74 €1.55

-63.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.27 €1.13

-1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.80 €0.71

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$9.62 €8.56

-75.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.50 €5.78

106.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.33 €1.19

80.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.52 €2.24

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$111 €99.0

-39.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.85 €3.43

-66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.65 €2.36

-65.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$26.29 €23.38

-58.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.16 €1.92

-31.94%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.7K €30.0K

50.55%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.4K €34.1K

16.03%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$245 €218

-63.88%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$14.38 €12.79

-19.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$32.80 €29.17

-51.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.98 €37.34

83.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$13.57 €12.07

-40.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$2,772 €2,466

-63.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,022 €7,136

218.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$95.9 €85.3

-43.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$48.95 €43.54

-16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$93.4 €83.1

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 €100

-14.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$674 €600

46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$448 €399

44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,337 €1,190

48.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$775 €689

52.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,390 €2,126

-49.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.23

1166.87%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lelystad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Lelystad

$448 26.1% 31% $201

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Lelystad

$295 17.2% 13.6% $35

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Lelystad

$325 18.9% 45.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Lelystad

$158 9.2% 21% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Lelystad

$292 17% 152% $176

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Lelystad

$69 4% 26% $24

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Lelystad

$128 * 7.5% 66.9% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $674 in Lelystad. 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 98% higher in Lelystad, 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 $85.0 in Lelystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $295 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇱 Lelystad

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

78,598

💱 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Lelystad 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lelystad

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 Lelystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lelystad is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,574 in Lelystad. 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 $2,772 in Lelystad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Lelystad, 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 Lelystad at $1,716. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lelystad 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, Lelystad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.