Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Wick

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,463 in Wick, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Wick
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,463
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Wick

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,463 in Wick, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Wick $2,463

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,506 in Wick, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Wick $3,506

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,549 in Wick, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Wick $4,549

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

Both Istanbul and Wick sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Wick by 82%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$19.70 £14.78
-37.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$66.3 £49.72
-17.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$10.75 £8.06
-14.23%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$3.94 £2.96
11.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$1.93 £1.45
-12.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.11 £1.59
-72.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$6.97 £5.23
-32.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$7.37 £5.53
-19.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.53 £1.15
-20.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$1.69 £1.27
-47.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.95 £1.46
12.31%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.35 £3.26
-45.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$8.79 £6.59
18.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$12.10 £9.08
-53.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$16.12 £12.10
29.90%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.41 £1.81
-21.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.39 £1.04
66.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.63 £1.97
-51.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.74 £2.81
-51.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.64 £1.23
-60.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$0.89 £0.67
-28.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.18 £0.89
5.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.62 £1.21
-65.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$22.45 £16.85
-89.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$11.15 £8.36
20.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.66 £2.00
-9.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.96 £2.22
17.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.36 £2.52
-73.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$95.4 £71.6
-29.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$3.94 £2.96
-67.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.43 £1.83
-62.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$24.14 £18.11
-54.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.86 £1.40
-20.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$37.4K £28.1K
35.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$41.0K £30.8K
8.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$406 £305
-78.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$27.71 £20.79
-58.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$41.31 £30.99
-61.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$45.23 £33.93
70.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$11.38 £8.53
-28.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$1,734 £1,301
-41.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$23.2K £17.4K
10.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$97.9 £73.4
-44.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$47.10 £35.34
-13.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$102 £76.4
-2.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$112 £84.1
-13.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,227 £920
-19.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$1,016 £762
-36.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,060 £1,546
-3.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,627 £1,220
-27.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$5,051 £3,789
-37.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,907 £2,931
-54.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Wick
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
5.11
700.78%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wick: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Wick
$1K 56.4% $367
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Wick
$315 21.2% $55
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Wick
$303 35.7% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Wick
$161 23.6% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Wick
$475 309% $359
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Wick
$68 27.2% $25
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Wick
$125 62.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,227 in Wick. 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 $66.0 in Wick. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $315 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇬🇧 Wick
🕒 Local time
22:28 10:28 PM
20:28 8:28 PM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
6,900
💱 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 Wick 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Wick

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 Wick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wick cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Wick is pricier by about 59%, 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 $3,695 in Wick. 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 $1,734 in Wick. 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 Wick?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Wick, 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 Wick?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Wick at $2,463. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Wick 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 Wick?
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, Wick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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