Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Les Ulis

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,918 in Les Ulis, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Les Ulis
Learn more

Les Ulis Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Les Ulis

🇫🇷 France

$1,918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Les Ulis

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,918 in Les Ulis, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Les Ulis $1,918

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,987 in Les Ulis, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Les Ulis $2,987

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,056 in Les Ulis, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Les Ulis $4,056

Istanbul is about 19% cheaper than Les Ulis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Les Ulis sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Les Ulis by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$18.76 €16.73

-34.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$78.1 €69.7

-29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.45 €11.99

-31.45%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$5.26 €4.69

-16.35%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$4.44 €3.96

-62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.83 €2.52

-79.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.71 €6.87

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$6.67 €5.95

-11.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.51 €1.35

-19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.55 €2.27

-65.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.80 €2.50

-21.79%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.28 €3.82

-45.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.48 €20.04

-53.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$13.78 €12.29

-59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.86 €19.49

-4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.13 €2.79

-39.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.26 €2.01

2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.85 €2.54

-55.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.14 €3.69

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.86 €1.66

-65.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$2.47 €2.21

-74.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.87 €1.67

-33.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.95 €0.85

-41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$14.23 €12.69

-83.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.71 €7.77

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.64 €2.36

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.58 €3.20

-2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.66 €1.48

-46.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$51.6 €46.01

30.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$9.02 €8.04

-85.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.48 €1.32

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$45.20 €40.30

-75.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.28 €2.03

-35.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.1K €31.3K

44.64%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.9K €32.0K

24.15%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$246 €219

-63.97%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$15.81 €14.10

-26.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$29.89 €26.65

-47.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$30.59 €27.27

152.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$14.72 €13.12

-44.70%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,759 €1,568

-42.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$10.0K €8,936

155.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$108 €96.7

-50.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$51.9 €46.29

-21.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,896

$122 €108

-18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$159 €142

-39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$704 €628

39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$559 €498

16.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,377 €1,228

44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,043 €930

13.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,397 €3,920

-28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,859 €2,549

-37.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.4

1103.53%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Les Ulis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Les Ulis

$559 29.1% 14% $91

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Les Ulis

$399 20.8% 53.8% $140

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Les Ulis

$335 17.4% 49.8% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Les Ulis

$199 10.4% 52.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Les Ulis

$292 15.2% 151% $176

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Les Ulis

$60 3.1% 35.8% $33

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Les Ulis

$75 3.9% 2.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $704 in Les Ulis. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $78.0 in Les Ulis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $399 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇫🇷 Les Ulis

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

25,253

💱 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.51 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Les Ulis 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Les Ulis

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 Les Ulis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Les Ulis is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,876 in Les Ulis. 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 $1,759 in Les Ulis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Les Ulis, 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 Les Ulis at $1,918. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Les Ulis 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, Les Ulis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.