Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sesvete

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Sesvete: $1,525 and $1,503 a month, rent and utilities included.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Sesvete
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sesvete

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,503 in Sesvete, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Sesvete $1,503

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,306 in Sesvete, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Sesvete $2,306

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,110 in Sesvete, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Sesvete $3,110

Istanbul costs about 1% more than Sesvete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Sesvete sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Sesvete by 11%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺592
$12.12 €10.78
-1.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,834
$61.5 €54.7
-6.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺471
$8.26 €7.35
15.13%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.50 €2.23
76.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.6
$2.92 €2.59
-40.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.57
$2.17 €1.93
-74.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺233
$3.38 €3.00
39.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺304
$4.40 €3.92
39.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.6
$1.22 €1.08
1.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.25
$1.62 €1.44
-41.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$2.63 €2.34
-13.31%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺121
$3.90 €3.47
-37.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺523
$10.70 €9.52
-1.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺272
$10.61 €9.44
-48.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,072
$17.75 €15.79
21.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺90.6
$1.99 €1.77
-8.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$1.72 €1.53
33.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.4
$2.06 €1.83
-37.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.1
$2.55 €2.27
-28.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.74
$1.30 €1.15
-49.23%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.14
$1.13 €1.01
-44.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺62.8
$1.17 €1.04
8.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.62
$1.24 €1.11
-54.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$5.46 €4.86
-56.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺642
$7.78 €6.92
66.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$1.62 €1.44
53.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$2.44 €2.17
43.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.77
$1.69 €1.50
-51.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,228
$44.06 €39.19
47.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺65.7
$2.20 €1.96
-39.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.60
$1.41 €1.25
-36.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺540
$11.79 €10.48
-7.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺70.7
$1.85 €1.65
-22.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$25.8K €22.9K
92.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$26.4K €23.4K
63.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,395
$156 €139
-43.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺579
$22.13 €19.69
-47.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺797
$40.14 €35.71
-59.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,776
$51.0 €45.35
49.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,125
$15.24 €13.56
49.08%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺409
$8.83 €7.86
-6.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.2K
$246 €219
312.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$2,841 €2,527
809.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,636
$110 €97.7
-51.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,008
$36.61 €32.56
10.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,956
$97.1 €86.4
3.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,630
$108 €95.6
-13.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.4K
$687 €611
42.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.0K
$512 €455
22.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.0K
$1,207 €1,074
64.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺56.8K
$865 €770
32.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺153.2K
$4,079 €3,628
-24.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.5K
$2,922 €2,599
-38.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Sesvete
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
3.3
1133.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sesvete: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Sesvete
$512 18.4% $115
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Sesvete
$288 9.8% $26
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Sesvete
$198 10.9% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Sesvete
$158 22.2% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Sesvete
$218 87.1% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Sesvete
$69 26% $24
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Sesvete
$60 19.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $687 in Sesvete. 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $61.0 in Sesvete. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $288 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇭🇷 Sesvete
🕒 Local time
00:13 12:13 AM
23:13 11:13 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
70,800
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Sesvete 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Sesvete

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 Sesvete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sesvete cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,254 in Sesvete. 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 Sesvete, 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 $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $246 in Sesvete. 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 Sesvete?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Sesvete?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sesvete, where all-in costs run around $1,503, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Sesvete it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Sesvete more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sesvete – 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 Sesvete?
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 Sesvete. 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.

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