Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tomar

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomar: $1,295 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Tomar
Learn more

Tomar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tomar

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,295

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tomar

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,295 in Tomar, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tomar $1,295

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,821 in Tomar, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tomar $1,821

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,347 in Tomar, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tomar $2,347

Istanbul costs about 20% more than Tomar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tomar is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.37 €11.89

-8.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$37.89 €33.71

44.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.69 €7.73

6.10%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.88 €1.67

134.04%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.79 €1.59

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.42 €1.27

-58.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.26 €2.01

107.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.51 €2.24

135.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.08 €0.96

12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.77 €1.57

-49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.41 €1.25

55.32%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.72 €2.42

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.80 €11.39

-18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.50 €5.78

-13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.31 €12.73

46.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.91 €1.69

-0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.41 €1.26

63.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.84 €1.64

-30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.51 €2.23

-28.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.83 €1.63

-64.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.14 €1.01

-43.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.53 €1.36

-18.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.14 €1.01

-50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.88 €6.12

-65.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.56 €4.05

194.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.34 €1.20

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.21 €1.96

57.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.01 €1.79

-55.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$37.43 €33.29

80.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.34 €3.86

-70.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.49 €1.33

-38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$20.77 €18.48

-47.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.82 €1.62

-19.23%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.9K €28.3K

59.40%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.0K €33.8K

17.15%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$106 €94.5

-16.57%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.23 €15.33

-32.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$42.90 €38.16

-63.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.15 €36.61

87.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.73 €15.77

28.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.16 €8.15

-11.14%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$311 €277

224.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,305 €5,608

305.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$66.3 €59.0

-18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$35.12 €31.24

16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$74.5 €66.3

32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$90.3 €80.3

6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$757 €673

30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$463 €412

40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$907 €807

118.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$502 €447

135.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,038 €2,702

3.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,257 €2,008

-21.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,077 €958

11.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.7

1005.95%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tomar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tomar

$463 35.8% 28.8% $187

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tomar

$245 18.9% 5.8% $15

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tomar

$185 14.3% 17.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tomar

$120 9.3% 8.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tomar

$166 12.8% 43.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tomar

$59 4.6% 36.3% $34

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tomar

$57 4.4% 25.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $757 in Tomar. 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 12% higher in Istanbul, 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 $38.00 in Tomar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $245 – making Tomar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇹 Tomar

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

03:51 3:51 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

36,414

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tomar 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tomar

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 Tomar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,943 in Tomar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $311 in Tomar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tomar, where all-in costs run around $1,295, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tomar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tomar – 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 Tomar. 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.