Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lousã

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,617 in Lousã, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lousã outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Lousã
Learn more

Lousã Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Lousã

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lousã

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,617 in Lousã, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Lousã $1,617

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,372 in Lousã, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Lousã $2,372

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,128 in Lousã, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Lousã $3,128

Istanbul is about 6% cheaper than Lousã, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Istanbul and Lousã sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Lousã by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$13.57 €12.07

-11.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$46.92 €41.74

21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$9.10 €8.09

4.51%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.13 €1.89

106.57%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$2.00 €1.78

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$1.44 €1.28

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$2.20 €1.96

114.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.73 €2.43

124.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.06 €0.95

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$1.50 €1.34

-36.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.68 €1.50

35.71%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.82 €2.51

-13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$11.64 €10.35

-9.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$7.57 €6.74

-27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$14.54 €12.93

48.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.95 €1.74

-6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.52 €1.35

50.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.83 €1.63

-30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$2.54 €2.26

-28.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.84 €1.64

-64.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.96 €1.74

-67.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.59 €1.41

-20.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.72 €0.64

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$6.46 €5.75

-63.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$4.55 €4.04

185.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.25 €1.11

98.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$2.16 €1.92

62.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$2.26 €2.01

-63.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$41.25 €36.69

58.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$4.39 €3.90

-69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.43 €1.27

-37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$13.83 €12.30

-21.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.09 €1.86

-31.58%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$33.5K €29.8K

48.13%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$38.6K €34.3K

11.84%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$106 €94.3

-16.30%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$17.49 €15.56

-33.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$31.93 €28.41

-49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$41.29 €36.73

84.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$16.81 €14.96

35.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$8.28 €7.36

-0.24%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$458 €407

121.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$6,410 €5,702

303.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$96.7 €86.0

-44.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$35.44 €31.52

14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$75.1 €66.8

33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$105 €93.6

-11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$976 €868

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$766 €682

-18.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,550 €1,379

27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,181 €1,051

-2.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$2,980 €2,650

3.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$2,237 €1,990

-20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.7

999.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lousã: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Lousã

$766 47.4% 22.2% $139

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Lousã

$243 15% 7.4% $19

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Lousã

$192 11.9% 13.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Lousã

$141 8.7% 8.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Lousã

$155 9.6% 33.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Lousã

$58 3.6% 37.7% $35

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Lousã

$62 3.8% 16.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $976 in Lousã. 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $47.00 in Lousã. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $243 – making Lousã the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇹 Lousã

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

22:07 10:07 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

17,007

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Lousã 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lousã

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 Lousã: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lousã is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,425 in Lousã. 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 $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $458 in Lousã. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Lousã – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Lousã at $1,617. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lousã 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, Lousã makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.