Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lushnje

For one person, living is cheaper in Lushnje: $1,195 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Lushnje
Learn more

Lushnje Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Lushnje

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lushnje

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,195 in Lushnje, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Lushnje $1,195

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,844 in Lushnje, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Lushnje $1,844

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,493 in Lushnje, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Lushnje $2,493

Istanbul costs about 30% more than Lushnje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Lushnje is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.05 ALL 809

22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$54.4 ALL 4,383

0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.90 ALL 878

-15.41%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.23 ALL 180

97.31%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.40 ALL 193

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.23 ALL 99.4

-52.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.51 ALL 283

33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.08 ALL 328

44.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.20 ALL 177

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.13 ALL 91.3

-21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.34 ALL 189

-6.41%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.80 ALL 306

-38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.52 ALL 1,009

-16.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$9.00 ALL 725

-37.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.76 ALL 1,350

24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.94 ALL 156

-2.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.42 ALL 195

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.21 ALL 178

-42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.88 ALL 151

-4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.02 ALL 81.8

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.29 ALL 104

-50.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.43 ALL 115

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.77 ALL 62.3

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.74 ALL 382

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.50 ALL 846

27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.55 ALL 125

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.09 ALL 169

66.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.51 ALL 40.97

74.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$17.48 ALL 1,408

285.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.63 ALL 292

-64.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.69 ALL 297

-75.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$18.04 ALL 1,452

-39.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.31 ALL 186

-36.36%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

50.54%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.5K ALL 2.9M

25.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$98.5 ALL 7,929

-10.00%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.19 ALL 1,465

-36.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.49 ALL 1,570

-18.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$58.0 ALL 4,674

32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$10.02 ALL 807

-18.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$347 ALL 27.9K

190.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,195 ALL 659.9K

211.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$49.07 ALL 3,952

9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$47.39 ALL 3,817

-13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$116 ALL 9,341

-14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 ALL 9,065

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$475 ALL 38.2K

107.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$326 ALL 26.3K

99.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$706 ALL 56.9K

180.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$473 ALL 38.1K

149.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,643 ALL 132.3K

90.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,053 ALL 84.8K

69.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$611 ALL 49.2K

97.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.39

659.18%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Lushnje

$326 27.3% 49.8% $323

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Lushnje

$287 24% 10.4% $27

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Lushnje

$180 15.1% 19.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Lushnje

$146 12.2% 12% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Lushnje

$136 11.4% 17.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Lushnje

$78 6.5% 16.4% $15

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Lushnje

$42 3.5% 45.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $475 in Lushnje. 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 97% higher in Istanbul, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $54.0 in Lushnje. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $287 in Lushnje – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇱 Lushnje

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

31,105

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Lushnje 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lushnje

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 Lushnje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 30%, 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 $1,793 in Lushnje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lushnje, 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 $347 in Lushnje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lushnje, where all-in costs run around $1,195, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Lushnje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lushnje – 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 Lushnje. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.