Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Utena

For one person, living is cheaper in Utena: $1,364 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Utena
Learn more

Utena Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Utena

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Utena

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,364 in Utena, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Utena $1,364

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,065 in Utena, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Utena $2,065

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,766 in Utena, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Utena $2,766

Istanbul costs about 11% more than Utena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$12.41 €11.05

-4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$49.93 €44.46

9.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$6.78 €6.04

36.58%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.20 €2.85

34.37%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.63 €2.35

-32.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.92 €1.71

-70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.46 €4.86

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$5.13 €4.57

38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.28 €1.14

-2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.50 €1.34

-41.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.77 €1.58

24.29%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.85 €2.54

-14.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.99 €8.89

4.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.82 €5.18

-8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$9.59 €8.53

120.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.59 €1.41

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.39 €1.24

65.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.65 €1.47

-26.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.06 €2.72

-41.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.78 €0.70

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.93 €0.83

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.53 €1.36

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.78 €0.70

-25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.90 €5.26

-60.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.28 €7.37

57.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.62 €1.44

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.67 €1.49

98.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.14 €1.02

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$32.91 €29.31

100.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$3.04 €2.70

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.87 €0.77

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$13.25 €11.80

-16.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.81 €1.61

-18.23%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$26.8K €23.9K

81.40%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$27.2K €24.3K

54.09%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$201 €179

-53.92%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$13.62 €12.13

-17.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$10.99 €9.79

44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$39.11 €34.82

90.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$22.04 €19.62

4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.76 €7.80

-8.11%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$512 €456

85.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$9,122 €8,123

304.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$137 €122

-60.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$64.1 €57.1

-35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$82.0 €73.0

23.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$184 €163

-50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$583 €519

73.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$393 €350

58.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$834 €743

140.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$653 €581

72.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$3,031 €2,699

-1.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,893 €1,685

-8.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,197 €1,066

-5.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

3.97

918.14%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Utena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Utena

$393 28.8% 37% $231

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Utena

$220 16.1% 14.8% $38

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Utena

$214 15.7% 3.3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Utena

$210 15.4% 62.2% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Utena

$226 16.6% 88.5% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Utena

$57 4.2% 37.6% $34

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Utena

$45 3.3% 40.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $583 in Utena. 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 5% higher in Utena, 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 $50 in Utena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $220 – making Utena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇹 Utena

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

28,997

💱 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 Utena 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Utena

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 Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,046 in Utena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Utena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $583 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $512 in Utena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Utena – 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, Utena is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 10% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.