Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,972 in Lija, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Lija
Learn more

Lija Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lija

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,972 in Lija, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Lija $1,972

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,209 in Lija, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Lija $3,209

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,446 in Lija, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Lija $4,446

Istanbul is about 21% cheaper than Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Lija sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Lija by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$22.27 €19.81

-44.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$91.0 €81.0

-39.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.14 €11.69

-29.83%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.13 €2.79

40.58%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.42 €2.15

-30.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.97 €1.75

-70.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.45 €4.85

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.71 €5.97

-11.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.33 €1.18

-9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.41 €1.25

-36.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.46 €3.08

-36.71%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.22 €3.76

-44.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.49 €9.33

-0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.19 €10.84

-53.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$18.21 €16.20

14.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.86 €3.44

-50.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.74 €2.44

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.83 €3.40

-66.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.69 €3.28

-51.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.92 €1.71

-66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$3.42 €3.04

-81.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.19 €1.95

-42.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.54 €1.37

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.36 €5.66

-62.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.11 €5.44

119.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.37 €2.11

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.28 €2.03

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.37 €2.11

-62.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.95 €3.52

-67.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.78 €1.58

-48.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$32.04 €28.50

-65.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.52 €1.35

-3.29%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$27.8K €24.7K

82.58%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$39.1K €34.8K

13.88%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$156 €138

-43.06%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$31.66 €28.16

-63.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$28.94 €25.75

-45.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$70.5 €62.7

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$11.36 €10.11

-28.35%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$279 €248

261.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$12.2K €10.9K

108.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$57.8 €51.4

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$68.0 €60.5

-39.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$111 €98.8

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$130 €116

-25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,106 €984

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$819 €728

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,794 €1,595

10.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,693 €1,506

-30.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,111 €3,657

-23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,697 €2,399

-34.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.05

910.37%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Lija

$819 41.5% 26% $169

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Lija

$343 17.4% 32.1% $83

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Lija

$313 15.9% 40.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Lija

$165 8.4% 26.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Lija

$216 11% 86.4% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Lija

$93 4.7% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Lija

$22 * 1.1% 71% $55

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 $1,106 in Lija. 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 $91.0 in Lija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $343 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,200

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Lija 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lija

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 Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lija is pricier by about 27%, 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 $2,958 in Lija. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $91.0 in Lija. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Lija, 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 Lija at $1,972. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lija 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, Lija makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.