Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Perez Zeledon Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Perez Zeledon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,431 per month in Istanbul vs $1,171 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,191 per month in Istanbul vs $1,927 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,952 per month in Istanbul vs $2,683 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Istanbul costs about 22% more than Perez Zeledon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Istanbul sits 7% above the global median, while Perez Zeledon is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.52 ₺520

$6.78 ₡3,082

69.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 ₺2,304

$39.34 ₡17.9K

29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 ₺343

$9.98 ₡4,539

-23.85%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₺164

$3.80 ₡1,729

-4.47%

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

$1.35 ₺61.1

$1.45 ₡661

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₺21.13

$1.59 ₡725

-70.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 ₺177

$2.91 ₡1,325

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 ₺235

$4.74 ₡2,154

9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₺49.69

$1.95 ₡886

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₺37.38

$2.76 ₡1,254

-69.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺102

$2.14 ₡973

5.61%

Eggs

$2.71 ₺122

$2.53 ₡1,148

7.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 ₺472

$8.19 ₡3,725

27.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 ₺297

$9.01 ₡4,099

-26.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.07 ₺906

$13.51 ₡6,144

48.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 ₺65.2

$4.52 ₡2,053

-68.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺103

$1.03 ₡470

122.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₺58.4

$4.20 ₡1,909

-69.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₺73.5

$3.42 ₡1,553

-52.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₺32.24

$2.85 ₡1,294

-75.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₺33.08

$2.80 ₡1,273

-73.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ₺52.6

$0.38 ₡174

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺26.48

$2.94 ₡1,337

-79.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₺96.9

$5.09 ₡2,317

-57.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 ₺541

$21.95 ₡9,981

-45.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₺97.0

$2.15 ₡977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₺136

$1.52 ₡691

98.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ₺32.32

$0.74 ₡334

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.1 ₺2,396

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₺49.28

$1.85 ₡841

-41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₺28.73

$1.80 ₡819

-64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₺395

$8.10 ₡3,684

7.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺54.5

$1.40 ₡635

-13.57%

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

$44.8K ₺2.0M

$38.2K ₡17.3M

17.45%

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

$43.2K ₺1.9M

$33.2K ₡15.1M

30.04%

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

$71.4 ₺3,221

$93.5 ₡42.5K

-23.70%

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

$12.44 ₺562

$21.44 ₡9,750

-41.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.58 ₺658

$59.1 ₡26.9K

-75.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 ₺2,818

$30.20 ₡13.7K

106.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.58 ₺839

$23.49 ₡10.7K

-20.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ₺342

$9.70 ₡4,413

-21.96%

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

$950 ₺42.9K

$500 ₡227.3K

90.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ₺814.5K

$12.9K ₡5.9M

40.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₺2,572

$63.5 ₡28.9K

-10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.42 ₺2,096

$50.9 ₡23.1K

-8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₺5,108

$125 ₡56.8K

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₺4,869

$108 ₡49.0K

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 ₺44.3K

$336 ₡153.0K

191.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 ₺28.5K

$263 ₡119.8K

139.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 ₺79.8K

$1,537 ₡699.1K

15.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 ₺47.7K

$632 ₡287.3K

67.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,300 ₺149.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,659 ₺74.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,198 ₺54.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

48.43

438.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: April 27, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $982 in Istanbul versus $336 in Perez Zeledon. 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 $51.0 in Istanbul versus $39.00 in Perez Zeledon. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Istanbul vs $347 in Perez Zeledon – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 22%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,146 per month in Istanbul and $1,756 in Perez Zeledon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Perez Zeledon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Istanbul and $39.00 in Perez Zeledon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 37% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Istanbul at $1,431. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perez Zeledon – 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 Perez Zeledon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.