Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nantes

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,824 in Nantes, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Nantes
🇫🇷 France
$1,824
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nantes

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,824 in Nantes, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Nantes $1,824

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,821 in Nantes, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Nantes $2,821

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,818 in Nantes, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Nantes $3,818

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Nantes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Nantes sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Nantes by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$16.68 €14.87
-26.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$55.8 €49.78
-2.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$11.21 €9.99
-17.75%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$3.74 €3.33
17.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$3.06 €2.73
-45.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$1.57 €1.40
-62.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$7.72 €6.89
-39.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺293
$4.63 €4.12
27.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.23 €1.10
-1.63%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$3.96 €3.53
-77.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$3.15 €2.81
-30.48%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.73 €3.33
-37.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$24.91 €22.21
-58.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$12.07 €10.76
-53.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$15.81 €14.10
32.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.00 €2.68
-36.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.64 €2.35
-12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.2
$2.89 €2.58
-55.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$2.93 €2.61
-38.57%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.17
$1.90 €1.70
-65.79%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.92
$1.90 €1.70
-66.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.40 €1.25
-10.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.59
$0.72 €0.64
-22.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$14.70 €13.10
-83.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$6.59 €5.87
103.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$3.53 €3.14
-32.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.86 €2.55
21.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$2.03 €1.81
-56.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,339
$62.9 €56.1
7.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.55 €4.95
-76.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.70 €2.40
-65.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺543
$35.81 €31.93
-69.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.21 €1.97
-33.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$34.0K €30.3K
49.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$34.4K €30.7K
29.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,388
$162 €145
-45.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$14.29 €12.74
-18.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$31.48 €28.07
-49.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,821
$27.74 €24.73
178.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$4.35 €3.88
422.76%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$13.26 €11.82
-38.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$1,065 €950
-5.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$19.2K €17.1K
33.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$93.9 €83.8
-42.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$34.93 €31.14
16.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,896
$92.8 €82.8
6.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$135 €120
-28.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$800 €713
23.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$654 €583
-0.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,677 €1,496
18.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,229 €1,096
-3.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$5,016 €4,472
-37.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,644 €3,249
-51.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Nantes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$2,917 €2,601
-58.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.89
951.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nantes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Nantes
$654 0.6% $4.1
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Nantes
$379 46.1% $120
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Nantes
$278 24.6% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Nantes
$160 22.8% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Nantes
$208 79.2% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Nantes
$54 41.9% $39
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Nantes
$90 17.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $800 in Nantes. 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 142% higher in Nantes, 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 $56.0 in Nantes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $379 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇫🇷 Nantes
🕒 Local time
07:51 7:51 AM
06:51 6:51 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
323,204
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.51 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Nantes 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Nantes

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 Nantes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nantes cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Nantes is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,736 in Nantes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $1,065 in Nantes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Nantes?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Nantes, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Nantes?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Nantes at $1,824. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nantes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Nantes more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Nantes?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nantes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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