Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tukums

For one person, living is cheaper in Tukums: $1,171 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Tukums
Learn more

Tukums Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Tukums

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tukums

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,171 in Tukums, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Tukums $1,171

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,647 in Tukums, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Tukums $1,647

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,123 in Tukums, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Tukums $2,123

Istanbul costs about 30% more than Tukums, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Tukums is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$5.53 €4.92

113.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$21.96 €19.56

150.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.95 €7.97

3.46%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.69 €3.29

16.53%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.58 €1.41

12.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.20 €1.07

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.51 €4.90

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$5.08 €4.52

40.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.08 €0.96

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.51 €1.34

-41.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.45 €2.18

-10.20%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.02 €1.80

20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.73 €7.78

20.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.54 €5.82

-18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$14.00 €12.46

50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$2.16 €1.92

-13.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.76 €1.56

30.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.48 €2.21

-50.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.09 €2.75

-41.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.59 €0.53

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.95 €0.85

-32.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.73 €1.54

-21.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.54 €0.48

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.51 €5.80

-64.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.66 €6.82

70.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.18 €1.05

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.01 €1.79

65.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.11 €0.99

-20.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.38 €3.01

-62.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.98 €0.87

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$17.51 €15.60

-36.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.85 €1.64

-20.00%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$26.7K €23.8K

81.87%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$29.1K €25.9K

44.14%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$288 €257

-67.85%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$17.09 €15.22

-34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$20.21 €18.00

-21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$36.46 €32.46

104.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$10.60 €9.44

-24.06%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$713 €635

33.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$18.3K €16.3K

102.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$69.0 €61.5

-21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$49.87 €44.40

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$79.5 €70.8

26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$139 €124

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$221 €196

359.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$226 €201

176.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$338 €301

492.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$332 €296

238.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$566 €504

100.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.77

747.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tukums: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Tukums

$226 19.3% 63.9% $399

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Tukums

$234 20% 9.5% $25

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Tukums

$164 14% 25.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Tukums

$152 13% 17.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Tukums

$326 27.8% 172% $206

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Tukums

$58 4.9% 36.5% $33

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Tukums

$13 * 1.1% 83.1% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $221 in Tukums. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $22 in Tukums. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $234 – making Tukums the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇻 Tukums

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

19,729

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Tukums 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tukums

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 Tukums: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,757 in Tukums. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tukums, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $22 in Tukums. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tukums, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Tukums it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tukums – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Tukums. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.