Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ventspils

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventspils: $943 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Ventspils
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Ventspils Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Ventspils

🇱🇻 Latvia

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ventspils

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $943 in Ventspils, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Ventspils $943

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,469 in Ventspils, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Ventspils $1,469

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,995 in Ventspils, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Ventspils $1,995

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Ventspils, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Ventspils is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$13.64 €12.15

-13.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$55.8 €49.66

-1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$8.86 €7.90

4.51%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$2.60 €2.32

65.38%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$1.57 €1.39

12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$1.16 €1.03

-51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$3.44 €3.07

36.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$2.31 €2.06

208.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.17 €1.05

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.14 €1.02

-22.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.41 €2.15

-8.71%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.00 €2.67

-19.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$10.31 €9.19

1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$8.78 €7.82

-39.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$13.53 €12.05

55.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$2.12 €1.89

-12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.76 €1.56

30.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$2.50 €2.23

-51.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$3.21 €2.86

-43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.84 €0.75

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.95 €0.85

-32.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.73 €1.54

-21.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.92 €0.82

-36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.87 €6.12

-65.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$7.68 €6.84

69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.04 €1.81

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.03 €1.81

63.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$1.09 €0.98

-19.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$16.95 €15.10

290.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$3.30 €2.94

-61.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$1.04 €0.93

-18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$17.59 €15.67

-36.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.79 €1.59

-17.32%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$27.3K €24.3K

78.48%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$29.7K €26.5K

41.33%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$270 €241

-65.66%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$16.64 €14.83

-32.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$17.00 €15.14

-6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$10.85 €9.67

-25.81%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$723 €644

31.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$18.2K €16.2K

102.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$69.2 €61.6

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$49.44 €44.04

-16.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$68.0 €60.6

48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$98.6 €87.9

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.2

862.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ventspils: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Ventspils

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ventspils

$259 27.5% 0.4% $1.1

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Ventspils

$200 21.2% 9.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ventspils

$128 13.6% 0.8% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Ventspils

$304 32.2% 154% $184

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Ventspils

$22 * 2.3% 76.1% $69

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Ventspils

$30 3.2% 60.3% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $56 in Ventspils. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $259 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇻 Ventspils

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

01:27 1:27 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

41,998

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Ventspils 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ventspils

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 Ventspils: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,414 in Ventspils. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Ventspils. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $723 in Ventspils. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $943 in Ventspils. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $943 in Ventspils to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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