Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nottingham

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,301 in Nottingham, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,526
/mo nomad
Nottingham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,301
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nottingham

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,301 in Nottingham, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,526
  • Nottingham $2,301

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $3,351 in Nottingham, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,399
  • Nottingham $3,351

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $4,401 in Nottingham, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,272
  • Nottingham $4,401

Istanbul is about 34% cheaper than Nottingham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Nottingham sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Nottingham by 72%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.88 ₺585
$19.68 £14.87
-39.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.1 ₺2,714
$77.5 £58.6
-28.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.14 ₺450
$10.46 £7.90
-12.62%
Cappuccino
$4.24 ₺209
$4.66 £3.52
-9.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.0
$2.36 £1.78
-25.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₺26.83
$1.74 £1.32
-68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺231
$6.71 £5.07
-30.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.97 ₺294
$6.78 £5.12
-11.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 ₺62.1
$1.84 £1.39
-31.52%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺46.81
$1.49 £1.12
-36.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.26 £1.71
2.21%
Eggs
$2.47 ₺122
$4.87 £3.68
-49.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.55 ₺520
$8.39 £6.34
25.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.60 ₺276
$9.01 £6.81
-37.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.21 ₺1,045
$15.00 £11.33
41.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.93 ₺95.1
$2.91 £2.20
-33.68%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$1.78 £1.34
28.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$3.59 £2.71
-64.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.84 ₺90.8
$3.55 £2.69
-48.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 ₺32.86
$2.09 £1.58
-67.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.59 ₺29.31
$1.98 £1.50
-70.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ₺65.4
$1.28 £0.97
3.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.10
$1.76 £1.33
-66.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺116
$22.24 £16.80
-89.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.47 ₺664
$13.30 £10.05
1.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 ₺119
$3.46 £2.62
-30.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₺174
$5.35 £4.04
-33.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 ₺40.64
$3.90 £2.95
-78.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.5 ₺3,273
$106 £80.3
-37.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.35 ₺66.6
$2.67 £2.02
-49.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.05
$1.46 £1.10
-41.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.86 ₺535
$24.62 £18.61
-55.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.3
$2.13 £1.61
-30.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$51.6K ₺2.5M
$37.6K £28.4K
37.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.4K ₺2.2M
$39.9K £30.2K
11.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.2 ₺4,395
$292 £221
-69.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ₺572
$19.68 £14.87
-41.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.10 ₺793
$41.46 £31.33
-61.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.3 ₺3,805
$42.18 £31.87
83.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.66 ₺1,116
$20.66 £15.61
9.68%
Cinema Ticket
$8.34 ₺411
$15.55 £11.75
-46.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$974 ₺48.0K
$1,790 £1,353
-45.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$27.6K £20.9K
-6.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 ₺2,597
$86.5 £65.4
-39.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.16 ₺1,929
$59.9 £45.24
-34.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 ₺5,083
$107 £80.9
-3.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,759
$105 £79.6
-8.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$994 ₺49.0K
$1,200 £907
-17.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 ₺31.0K
$964 £728
-34.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,024 ₺99.7K
$1,980 £1,496
2.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,155 ₺56.9K
$1,394 £1,054
-17.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,160 ₺155.7K
$4,048 £3,059
-21.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,838 ₺90.5K
$4,673 £3,531
-60.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Nottingham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,203 ₺59.3K
$3,128 £2,364
-61.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
41.09
5.09
707.27%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nottingham: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$629
Nottingham
$964 53.2% $335
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$264
Nottingham
$325 23.3% $61
Eating Out
Istanbul
$218
Nottingham
$308 41.5% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Nottingham
$161 23% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Nottingham
$353 202% $236
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$94
Nottingham
$73 22% $21
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Nottingham
$132 75% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,200 in Nottingham. 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 160% higher in Nottingham, 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 $77.0 in Nottingham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $325 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇬🇧 Nottingham
🕒 Local time
11:33 11:33 AM
09:33 9:33 AM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
305,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Nottingham 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Nottingham

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 Nottingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nottingham cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Nottingham is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $3,452 in Nottingham. 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 $974 per month in Istanbul and $1,790 in Nottingham. 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 Nottingham?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Nottingham, 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 Nottingham?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Nottingham at $2,301. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nottingham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Nottingham 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 Nottingham?
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, Nottingham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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