Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lviv

For one person, living is cheaper in Lviv: $1,044 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Lviv
Learn more

Lviv Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Lviv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lviv

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,044 in Lviv, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Lviv $1,044

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,585 in Lviv, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Lviv $1,585

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,127 in Lviv, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Lviv $2,127

Istanbul costs about 46% more than Lviv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Lviv is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$6.65 ₴303

77.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$35.21 ₴1,603

55.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$6.65 ₴303

39.25%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.23 ₴101

92.83%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.32 ₴60.0

34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.29 ₴58.7

-56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.46 ₴112

90.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.02 ₴137

135.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.24 ₴56.3

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.86 ₴39.23

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.64 ₴74.7

34.15%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.07 ₴94.1

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.70 ₴396

20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.60 ₴209

15.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$7.69 ₴350

174.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.27 ₴57.7

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.55 ₴70.4

48.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.74 ₴79.4

-29.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.58 ₴117

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.77 ₴34.95

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.53 ₴24.22

20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.46 ₴66.6

-6.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.53 ₴24.31

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.09 ₴141

-24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$6.59 ₴300

97.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.96 ₴43.59

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.59 ₴72.5

108.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.56 ₴25.68

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$19.87 ₴905

232.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.89 ₴132

-55.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.32 ₴14.52

165.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$4.22 ₴192

162.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.75 ₴79.5

-15.43%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$31.2K ₴1.4M

55.79%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.9K ₴1.1M

75.58%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$82.6 ₴3,761

12.25%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$5.77 ₴263

94.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$7.26 ₴330

118.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$29.44 ₴1,341

153.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$13.94 ₴635

64.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.73 ₴216

70.19%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$323 ₴14.7K

194.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$5,697 ₴259.4K

548.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$87.2 ₴3,968

-38.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$42.74 ₴1,946

-2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$93.9 ₴4,277

7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$98.1 ₴4,469

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$609 ₴27.7K

66.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$429 ₴19.5K

45.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,111 ₴50.6K

80.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$712 ₴32.4K

58.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,001 ₴91.1K

49.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,285 ₴58.5K

34.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$662 ₴30.1K

71.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

14.67

175.53%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lviv: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Lviv

$429 41.1% 31.3% $196

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Lviv

$180 17.3% 30.2% $78

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Lviv

$129 12.3% 41.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Lviv

$145 13.9% 11.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Lviv

$96 9.2% 20.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Lviv

$39 3.7% 57.1% $52

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Lviv

$27 2.6% 64.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $609 in Lviv. 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 72% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $35 in Lviv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $180 – making Lviv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇦 Lviv

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

728,350

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR 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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.12 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Lviv 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lviv

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 Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,565 in Lviv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lviv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $609 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $323 in Lviv. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,044 in Lviv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Lviv – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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