Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Maltepe

For one person, living is cheaper in Maltepe: $988 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Maltepe
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Maltepe Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Maltepe

🇹🇷 Turkey

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Maltepe

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $988 in Maltepe, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Maltepe $988

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,541 in Maltepe, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Maltepe $1,541

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,094 in Maltepe, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Maltepe $2,094

Istanbul costs about 53% more than Maltepe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Maltepe is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$9.86 ₺491

17.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,724

$29.96 ₺1,492

82.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.43 ₺370

26.38%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.72 ₺185

13.71%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$1.05 ₺52.3

63.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.25

$0.37 ₺18.61

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$2.27 ₺113

104.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.94 ₺147

132.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.99 ₺49.34

21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.96

$0.75 ₺37.45

25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.28 ₺114

-1.75%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.33 ₺116

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$10.23 ₺510

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$5.05 ₺251

6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$18.97 ₺945

11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.2

$1.66 ₺82.9

13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.90 ₺94.9

16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$1.05 ₺52.5

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$1.25 ₺62.0

44.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.83

$0.62 ₺30.72

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.12

$0.39 ₺19.49

64.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.76 ₺37.69

60.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$0.59 ₺29.36

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.09 ₺104

11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$12.94 ₺645

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.99 ₺99.3

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.18 ₺109

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.17

$0.69 ₺34.37

31.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,305

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$1.03 ₺51.1

25.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.65

$0.89 ₺44.43

-3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$6.78 ₺338

63.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.7

$1.34 ₺66.9

5.97%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

10.72%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$40.3K ₺2.0M

6.17%

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

$87.7 ₺4,371

$75.1 ₺3,743

16.78%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$10.92 ₺544

3.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$14.44 ₺720

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,782

$53.2 ₺2,651

42.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$6.08 ₺303

34.87%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$619 ₺30.8K

66.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$11.1K ₺550.9K

134.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,657

$44.01 ₺2,193

21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$34.48 ₺1,718

15.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,971

$80.8 ₺4,025

23.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,659

$90.9 ₺4,530

2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$412 ₺20.5K

143.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$301 ₺15.0K

108.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$780 ₺38.8K

151.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$560 ₺27.9K

100.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$1,408 ₺70.2K

118.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$1,009 ₺50.3K

73.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Maltepe

$301 30.4% 52.1% $328

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Maltepe

$232 23.5% 10.2% $26

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Maltepe

$169 17.1% 22.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Maltepe

$113 11.4% 12.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Maltepe

$100 10.2% 12.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Maltepe

$65 6.6% 29.2% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Maltepe

$8.3 * 0.8% 89.1% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $412 in Maltepe. 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 $55 in Istanbul versus $30 in Maltepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $232 – making Maltepe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Maltepe

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

523,137

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Maltepe 16 km

From you

Istanbul
Maltepe

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 Maltepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,482 in Maltepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $30 in Maltepe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Maltepe – 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.