Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Trapani

For one person, living is cheaper in Trapani: $1,280 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Trapani
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Trapani Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Trapani

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Trapani

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,280 in Trapani, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Trapani $1,280

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,896 in Trapani, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Trapani $1,896

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,512 in Trapani, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Trapani $2,512

Istanbul costs about 21% more than Trapani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Trapani is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.18 €9.94

10.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$55.3 €49.14

-1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.92 €7.05

16.41%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.87 €1.66

135.29%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.94 €2.62

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.24 €1.10

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.27 €5.58

-25.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.24 €3.77

39.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.24 €1.10

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.61 €1.43

-44.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.59 €2.30

-15.44%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.26 €2.90

-27.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.95 €9.74

-4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.75 €6.90

-27.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.78 €14.03

32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.03 €1.81

-6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.69 €1.50

36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.58 €1.40

-18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.30 €2.04

-21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.20 €1.06

-45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.15 €1.02

-44.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.28 €1.14

-2.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.46 €0.41

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.27 €5.58

-62.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.84 €6.98

71.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.26 €1.12

90.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.01 €0.90

244.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.36 €1.21

-34.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$44.76 €39.81

50.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.38 €3.01

-61.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.70 €1.51

-45.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$22.02 €19.58

-50.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.06 €1.83

-28.64%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.8K €32.7K

38.14%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.7K €30.9K

28.19%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$161 €143

-44.93%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.30 €9.16

12.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$28.71 €25.53

-44.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.00 €36.47

88.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.48 €14.66

37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.68 €6.83

5.99%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$451 €401

123.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,761 €6,014

278.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$42.48 €37.78

27.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$21.94 €19.52

86.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$67.4 €59.9

46.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$101 €89.8

-4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$442 €393

122.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$415 €369

56.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$737 €655

169.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$572 €508

106.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,357 €1,207

131.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$982 €874

81.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,530 €1,361

-21.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.55

1052.68%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Trapani: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Trapani

$415 32.4% 36.1% $235

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Trapani

$249 19.5% 3.9% $10

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Trapani

$192 15% 13.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Trapani

$105 8.2% 19.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Trapani

$200 15.6% 72.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Trapani

$56 4.4% 39.7% $37

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Trapani

$62 4.9% 19.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $442 in Trapani. 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 27% higher in Trapani, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $55.0 in Trapani. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $249 in Trapani – so Trapani wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇹 Trapani

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

55,219

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Trapani 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Trapani

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 Trapani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,920 in Trapani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trapani, 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 $451 in Trapani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trapani, where all-in costs run around $1,280, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Trapani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trapani – 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 Trapani. 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.