Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Melun

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,687 in Melun, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Melun
Learn more

Melun Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Melun

🇫🇷 France

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Melun

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,687 in Melun, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Melun $1,687

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,511 in Melun, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Melun $2,511

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,335 in Melun, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Melun $3,335

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Melun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Melun sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Melun by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$12.73 €11.32

-6.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$53.1 €47.20

7.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$13.41 €11.93

-29.08%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.99 €2.66

47.16%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.68 €1.50

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$1.73 €1.54

-67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$7.44 €6.62

-36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$5.63 €5.00

9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.32 €1.17

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$1.89 €1.68

-49.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.86 €2.54

-20.28%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$4.17 €3.70

-41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$21.19 €18.85

-50.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$12.88 €11.46

-57.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$22.95 €20.41

-5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.31 €2.94

-44.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.12 €1.88

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.35 €2.09

-45.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$3.08 €2.74

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.82 €1.62

-63.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.99 €1.77

-68.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.77 €1.58

-28.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.63 €0.56

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$13.92 €12.38

-83.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$8.20 €7.29

58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$2.46 €2.19

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$4.27 €3.80

-18.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$1.95 €1.73

-57.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$47.25 €42.03

37.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$2.21 €1.97

-39.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$2.16 €1.92

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$23.81 €21.18

-54.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.23 €1.98

-35.87%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$34.1K €30.3K

45.44%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$34.3K €30.5K

26.03%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$197 €176

-55.01%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$15.10 €13.43

-22.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$28.14 €25.03

-42.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$35.17 €31.29

116.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$9.97 €8.87

-17.15%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$623 €554

62.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,092 €7,197

219.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$86.6 €77.0

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$40.76 €36.25

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$103 €92.1

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$102 €90.4

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$742 €660

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$561 €499

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,193 €1,061

66.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$883 €785

29.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$3,959 €3,522

-21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$2,978 €2,649

-40.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$2,499 €2,223

-51.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.92

938.01%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melun: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Melun

$561 33.2% 10.6% $66

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Melun

$372 22.1% 41.8% $110

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Melun

$240 14.2% 8.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Melun

$150 8.9% 15.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Melun

$241 14.3% 106% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Melun

$55 3.3% 40.6% $38

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Melun

$68 4% 8.4% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $742 in Melun. 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 106% higher in Melun, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $53.0 in Melun. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Istanbul vs $372 in Melun – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇫🇷 Melun

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

42,367

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Melun 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Melun

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 Melun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melun is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,530 in Melun. 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 $623 in Melun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Melun, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Melun at $1,687. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melun 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, Melun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.