Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lisbon

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Lisbon $4,341

Istanbul is about 31% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Lisbon sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$16.65 €14.95

-30.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,725

$61.7 €55.5

-11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$11.36 €10.20

-17.34%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$2.97 €2.67

42.42%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$2.29 €2.06

-24.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.26

$1.74 €1.56

-67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$3.40 €3.06

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$3.31 €2.97

106.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.16 €1.04

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.97

$1.91 €1.72

-50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.51 €1.36

48.34%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$4.02 €3.61

-39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$12.94 €11.62

-20.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$7.77 €6.98

-30.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$17.76 €15.95

19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.3

$2.30 €2.07

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.73 €1.56

28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$1.86 €1.67

-32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$2.59 €2.33

-30.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.84

$1.82 €1.64

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.13

$1.97 €1.77

-67.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$1.47 €1.32

-17.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.72 €0.65

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$6.58 €5.91

-64.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$5.61 €5.04

137.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.36 €1.22

71.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.14 €1.92

61.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.18

$2.33 €2.10

-60.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,306

$44.68 €40.14

48.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$3.85 €3.46

-66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.66

$1.07 €0.96

-19.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$16.46 €14.79

-32.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$2.20 €1.98

-35.45%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$34.2K €30.7K

43.86%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$38.7K €34.8K

10.53%

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

$87.7 ₺4,373

$161 €145

-45.58%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$18.41 €16.54

-38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$32.74 €29.41

-51.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,783

$44.55 €40.02

70.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$19.10 €17.16

20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$9.60 €8.62

-14.58%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$668 €600

53.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$17.6K €15.8K

47.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,658

$102 €91.6

-47.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$44.46 €39.94

-10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,972

$98.5 €88.5

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,661

$124 €111

-24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$1,608 €1,445

-37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$1,190 €1,069

-47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$2,812 €2,526

-30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$2,013 €1,808

-44.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$7,839 €7,042

-60.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$4,576 €4,110

-61.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,575 €1,415

-25.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.85

956.88%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 89.4% $562

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 5.5% $14

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Lisbon

$243 11% 11.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 28.8% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 84.8% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 31% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 16.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $1,608 in Lisbon. 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 34% higher in Lisbon, 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 in Istanbul versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $272 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.46 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Lisbon 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $3,315 in Lisbon. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,003 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,516 in Istanbul and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,516 versus $2,210 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.