Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Leon

Name: Leon
Address: Leon, ES

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Leon: $1,550 and $1,489 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Leon
Learn more

Leon Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Leon

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Leon

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,489 in Leon, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Leon $1,489

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,086 in Leon, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Leon $2,086

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,683 in Leon, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Leon $2,683

Istanbul costs about 4% more than Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Istanbul and Leon sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Leon by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$16.50 €14.68

-25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$42.47 €37.77

28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.12 €8.11

1.10%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.96 €2.63

48.65%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.49 €2.22

-32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.38 €1.23

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.71 €2.41

73.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.33 €2.96

77.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.07 €0.95

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.34 €1.19

-33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.30 €1.15

68.46%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.39 €3.02

-30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.96 €8.86

4.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.19 €5.50

-8.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.42 €13.72

35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.40 €2.14

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.25 €2.00

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.34 €2.08

-45.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.37 €2.10

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.75 €1.56

-62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.94 €1.72

-67.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.07 €0.95

16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.81 €0.72

-30.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.58 €4.97

-57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.92 €4.38

172.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.56 €1.39

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.89 €1.68

84.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.33 €1.18

-33.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$33.44 €29.74

101.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.25 €2.00

-42.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.26 €1.12

-26.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$35.54 €31.61

-69.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.69 €1.50

-13.02%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.3K €33.2K

36.05%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.2K €27.7K

42.85%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$173 €154

-48.75%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$16.70 €14.86

-30.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$30.05 €26.73

-47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$33.80 €30.06

128.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$6.28 €5.59

262.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.73 €7.77

-6.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$206 €183

389.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$96.1 €85.5

-43.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$15.88 €14.13

157.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$82.5 €73.4

19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$56.3 €50.1

71.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$858 €763

14.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$587 €522

10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$938 €835

111.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$730 €650

61.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,982 €1,763

58.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,550 €1,379

14.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,708 €1,519

-29.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.6

1036.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Leon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Leon

$587 39.4% 9.7% $63

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Leon

$241 16.2% 7.1% $19

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Leon

$231 15.5% 3.3% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Leon

$113 7.6% 13.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Leon

$220 14.8% 89.3% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Leon

$51 3.4% 45.1% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Leon

$47 3.2% 38.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $858 in Leon. 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 42% higher in Leon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $42.00 in Leon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $241 – making Leon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇪🇸 Leon

🕒 Local time

22:31 10:31 PM

21:31 9:31 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

121,281

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Leon 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Leon

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,234 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, 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 $206 in Leon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,489, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Leon – 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 Leon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.