Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Siauliai

For one person, living is cheaper in Siauliai: $1,206 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Siauliai
Learn more

Siauliai Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Siauliai

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Siauliai

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,206 in Siauliai, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Siauliai $1,206

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $1,819 in Siauliai, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Siauliai $1,819

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $2,431 in Siauliai, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Siauliai $2,431

Istanbul costs about 26% more than Siauliai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Siauliai is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺579

$7.77 €6.96

49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,732

$33.87 €30.35

61.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺469

$7.06 €6.32

33.00%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.26 €2.93

29.75%

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

$1.72 ₺85.9

$1.91 €1.71

-9.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.33

$1.15 €1.03

-50.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$5.47 €4.90

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺342

$3.39 €3.04

101.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.1

$0.98 €0.88

22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺47.09

$1.32 €1.18

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$2.38 €2.14

-5.88%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$3.28 €2.94

-26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺511

$10.46 €9.38

-2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺269

$8.47 €7.59

-36.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,059

$11.75 €10.53

80.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.5

$1.86 €1.67

1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.48 €1.33

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.9

$1.69 €1.51

-25.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.2

$1.69 €1.52

7.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.93

$0.95 €0.86

-26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.21

$0.55 €0.49

16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.61 €1.45

-24.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.42

$0.81 €0.73

-32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$6.10 €5.46

-61.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺665

$7.63 €6.83

74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.83 €1.64

27.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺173

$1.66 €1.49

108.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.29

$1.73 €1.55

-47.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,314

$32.03 €28.70

107.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.3

$3.10 €2.78

-58.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.77

$1.10 €0.98

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺554

$13.86 €12.42

-19.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.9

$1.89 €1.69

-24.87%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$26.9K €24.1K

83.09%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$28.0K €25.1K

52.77%

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

$87.7 ₺4,384

$239 €214

-63.29%

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

$11.28 ₺563

$13.55 €12.15

-16.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺794

$14.93 €13.38

6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,792

$28.41 €25.46

167.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,151

$17.53 €15.71

31.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺410

$10.00 €8.96

-18.00%

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

$1,028 ₺51.4K

$642 €575

60.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$11.1K €9,976

133.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,664

$66.9 €59.9

-20.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,983

$34.19 €30.64

16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,985

$88.3 €79.1

13.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,673

$102 €91.8

-8.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.1K

$417 €374

140.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.4K

$307 €275

104.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺98.1K

$718 €643

173.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺56.0K

$603 €540

86.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.6K

$2,517 €2,255

22.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.6K

$1,587 €1,422

10.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.9K

$1,513 €1,356

-22.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.95

930.13%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Siauliai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Siauliai

$307 25.4% 51.2% $322

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Siauliai

$236 19.6% 8.6% $22

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Siauliai

$169 14% 22.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Siauliai

$131 10.9% 1.9% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Siauliai

$267 22.2% 133% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Siauliai

$48 4% 47.6% $44

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Siauliai

$48 3.9% 37.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $417 in Siauliai. 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 28% higher in Siauliai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $34 in Siauliai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Siauliai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇹 Siauliai

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

109,328

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 49.96 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.78 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Siauliai 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Siauliai

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 Siauliai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $1,809 in Siauliai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siauliai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $417 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $642 in Siauliai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,516 in Istanbul and $1,206 in Siauliai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Siauliai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Siauliai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.