Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Roeselare

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,779 in Roeselare, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Roeselare
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Roeselare

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,779 in Roeselare, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Roeselare $1,779

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,664 in Roeselare, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Roeselare $2,664

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,550 in Roeselare, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Roeselare $3,550

Istanbul is about 13% cheaper than Roeselare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Roeselare sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Roeselare by 32%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺607
$18.36 €16.39
-33.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,700
$77.9 €69.6
-29.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺455
$11.15 €9.95
-17.31%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺217
$4.30 €3.84
2.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺82.8
$2.14 €1.91
-21.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.31
$1.75 €1.56
-66.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺232
$5.16 €4.61
-8.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$3.93 €3.51
50.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺59.8
$1.34 €1.19
-9.70%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺43.97
$2.83 €2.52
-68.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.08 €1.86
5.29%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.71 €3.31
-36.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺514
$11.32 €10.10
-7.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺279
$12.08 €10.78
-53.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,033
$19.35 €17.27
8.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺93.8
$2.76 €2.46
-31.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.20 €1.96
5.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.0
$2.22 €1.99
-42.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺88.7
$2.29 €2.04
-21.40%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.07
$2.16 €1.93
-69.91%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.82
$1.65 €1.47
-61.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺61.9
$1.46 €1.30
-14.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.50
$0.88 €0.78
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺117
$13.24 €11.81
-82.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺662
$7.45 €6.65
80.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.01 €1.80
19.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.79 €1.60
94.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.70
$2.81 €2.51
-68.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,328
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺63.9
$10.06 €8.98
-87.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.56
$2.48 €2.21
-62.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺541
$24.81 €22.14
-55.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.7
$2.02 €1.80
-27.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$34.9K €31.2K
45.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$33.1K €29.6K
34.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,374
$169 €151
-47.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺572
$18.05 €16.11
-35.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺781
$51.2 €45.68
-69.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,809
$56.7 €50.6
36.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,122
$20.68 €18.45
9.96%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺402
$12.88 €11.50
-36.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.8K
$688 €614
46.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$16.3K €14.6K
56.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,663
$99.0 €88.3
-45.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,015
$26.52 €23.67
53.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,881
$89.0 €79.4
11.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,768
$146 €130
-33.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.6K
$796 €711
23.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.1K
$662 €591
-1.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺97.9K
$1,164 €1,039
70.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.2K
$962 €859
22.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺154.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺87.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Roeselare
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.5K
$2,779 €2,480
-56.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
2.5
1536.80%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Roeselare: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Roeselare
$662 1.8% $12
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Roeselare
$319 22.9% $60
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Roeselare
$281 25.9% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Roeselare
$162 24.2% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Roeselare
$239 106% $122
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Roeselare
$82 11.8% $11
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Roeselare
$34 * 56.2% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $796 in Roeselare. 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 131% higher in Roeselare, 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 $78.0 in Roeselare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $319 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇧🇪 Roeselare
🕒 Local time
10:44 10:44 AM
09:44 9:44 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
56,016
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.24 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Roeselare 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Roeselare

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 Roeselare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Roeselare cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Roeselare is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,668 in Roeselare. 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.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Roeselare?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $78.0 in Roeselare. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Roeselare?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Roeselare, 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 Roeselare?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Roeselare at $1,779. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roeselare it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Roeselare 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 Roeselare?
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, Roeselare makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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