Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Wandsworth

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,450 in Wandsworth, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Wandsworth
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,450
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Wandsworth

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,450 in Wandsworth, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Wandsworth $2,450

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,639 in Wandsworth, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Wandsworth $3,639

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,829 in Wandsworth, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Wandsworth $4,829

Istanbul is about 37% cheaper than Wandsworth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Wandsworth sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Wandsworth by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$26.69 £20.02
-53.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$95.2 £71.4
-42.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$10.65 £7.99
-13.43%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$5.23 £3.92
-15.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$3.35 £2.52
-49.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.09 £1.57
-71.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$8.53 £6.40
-44.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$7.73 £5.80
-23.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.82 £1.37
-33.52%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$1.99 £1.49
-55.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.18 £1.63
0.46%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.41 £3.31
-46.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$11.63 £8.72
-10.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$10.64 £7.98
-46.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$17.51 £13.14
19.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.02 £2.26
-37.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.41 £1.06
63.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.90 £2.18
-55.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.27 £2.46
-44.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$2.12 £1.59
-69.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.86 £1.40
-65.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.17 £0.88
6.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.64 £1.23
-65.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$23.07 £17.31
-89.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$11.07 £8.30
21.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$3.05 £2.29
-21.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$3.92 £2.94
-11.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.40 £2.55
-73.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$94.5 £70.9
-28.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.07 £3.81
-74.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.67 £2.01
-65.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$25.98 £19.49
-57.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.14 £1.60
-31.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$38.4K £28.8K
32.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$40.3K £30.3K
10.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$288 £216
-69.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$18.38 £13.79
-36.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$45.27 £33.96
-65.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$44.72 £33.55
72.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$17.23 £12.93
-52.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$2,040 £1,530
-50.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$30.7K £23.0K
-16.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$116 £86.9
-53.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$45.76 £34.33
-10.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$104 £77.7
-4.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$104 £78.4
-7.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,214 £911
-18.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$1,001 £751
-35.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,065 £1,549
-3.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,628 £1,221
-27.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$5,116 £3,838
-38.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,837 £2,879
-53.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Wandsworth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
5.12
699.22%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wandsworth: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Wandsworth
$1K 54.1% $351
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Wandsworth
$336 29.5% $77
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Wandsworth
$388 73.8% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Wandsworth
$166 27.4% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Wandsworth
$352 204% $236
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Wandsworth
$79 15.3% $14
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Wandsworth
$127 64.6% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,214 in Wandsworth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $95.0 in Wandsworth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $336 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇬🇧 Wandsworth
🕒 Local time
07:17 7:17 AM
05:17 5:17 AM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
15,562
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Wandsworth 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Wandsworth

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 Wandsworth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wandsworth cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Wandsworth is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,674 in Wandsworth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $2,040 in Wandsworth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Wandsworth?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Wandsworth, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Wandsworth?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Wandsworth at $2,450. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wandsworth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Wandsworth more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Wandsworth?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wandsworth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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