Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ludza

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludza: $960 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ludza
Learn more

Ludza Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ludza

🇱🇻 Latvia

$960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ludza

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $960 in Ludza, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Ludza $960

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,510 in Ludza, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Ludza $1,510

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,059 in Ludza, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Ludza $2,059

Istanbul costs about 58% more than Ludza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Ludza is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.01 €7.13

47.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$68.4 €60.9

-19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.43 €8.39

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.80 €3.38

13.16%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.60 €1.42

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.21 €1.08

-53.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.68 €5.06

-17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.98 €4.43

42.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.22 €1.09

2.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.49 €1.33

-40.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.49 €2.22

-11.65%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.62 €3.22

-32.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$10.46 €9.31

0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$8.54 €7.61

-37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$13.80 €12.29

52.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$0.64 €0.57

190.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.47 €1.31

56.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.80 €1.60

-32.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.27 €2.91

-44.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.83 €0.74

-16.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.93 €0.83

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.69 €1.50

-19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.99 €0.88

-41.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.61 €5.88

-64.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.04 €7.16

62.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.03 €1.81

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.10 €1.87

58.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.29 €2.04

-61.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.30 €2.94

-61.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.98 €0.88

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$17.63 €15.70

-37.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.89 €1.68

-21.69%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$27.1K €24.1K

79.64%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$29.1K €25.9K

44.08%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$287 €256

-67.72%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$19.32 €17.20

-42.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$20.23 €18.01

-21.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$10.61 €9.44

-24.13%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$707 €629

34.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$18.2K €16.2K

102.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$68.0 €60.5

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$50.2 €44.68

-17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$76.7 €68.3

31.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$140 €125

-34.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$604 €538

88.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.77

747.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ludza: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ludza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ludza

$256 26.7% 0.9% $2.3

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ludza

$188 19.5% 15.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ludza

$151 15.7% 16.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ludza

$327 34% 173% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ludza

$21 * 2.2% 76.6% $70

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ludza

$17 * 1.8% 76.9% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 88% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $68 in Ludza. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $256 in Ludza – so Ludza wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇻 Ludza

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

09:42 9:42 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

8,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Ludza 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ludza

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 Ludza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,439 in Ludza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $68 in Ludza. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $707 in Ludza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $960 in Ludza to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ludza. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.