Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zakynthos

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,684 in Zakynthos, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Zakynthos despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Zakynthos
Learn more

Zakynthos Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Zakynthos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zakynthos

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,684 in Zakynthos, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Zakynthos $1,684

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,553 in Zakynthos, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Zakynthos $2,553

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,422 in Zakynthos, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Zakynthos $3,422

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Zakynthos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Zakynthos sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Zakynthos by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$28.34 €25.24

-58.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$56.9 €50.7

-3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$11.40 €10.15

-18.77%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$4.75 €4.23

-9.47%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$5.58 €4.97

-68.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.60 €0.53

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.06 €4.51

-7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$6.79 €6.05

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.31 €2.05

-45.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$2.00 €1.78

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.56 €2.28

-14.06%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.47 €3.98

-45.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$14.66 €13.06

-28.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$14.95 €13.31

-64.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$12.06 €10.74

74.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$3.65 €3.25

-49.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.08 €1.85

10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.37 €1.22

-10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.08 €1.85

-13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.18 €1.05

-41.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.15 €1.02

-44.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.08 €0.97

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.85 €0.75

-31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.29 €4.71

-55.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.24 €6.45

79.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.77 €1.58

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.50 €2.23

32.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.99 €1.77

-55.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$50.6 €45.02

30.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.14 €3.68

-69.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$1.15 €1.02

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$16.92 €15.06

-34.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.07 €1.85

-28.50%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$27.5K €24.5K

76.70%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.7K €22.8K

63.64%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$199 €177

-53.41%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$41.22 €36.71

-72.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$29.78 €26.52

-46.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$51.0 €45.43

46.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$24.73 €22.02

-7.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.69 €7.74

-7.36%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$412 €367

129.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$9,087 €8,091

306.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$110 €97.8

-50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$40.12 €35.72

3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$123 €109

-17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$141 €125

-35.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$393 €350

157.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$389 €346

60.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$788 €702

154.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$568 €506

98.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,415 €2,150

23.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,947 €1,734

-11.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,325 €1,180

-14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

4.48

802.23%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zakynthos: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Zakynthos

$389 23.1% 37.8% $236

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zakynthos

$321 19.1% 24.5% $63

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Zakynthos

$382 22.7% 72.7% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zakynthos

$186 11.1% 43.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Zakynthos

$270 16% 125% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Zakynthos

$68 4.1% 24.6% $22

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Zakynthos

$68 4.1% 9% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $393 in Zakynthos. 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 17% higher in Zakynthos. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $57 in Zakynthos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $321 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇷 Zakynthos

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

12:47 12:47 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

39,015

💱 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 = 56.33 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 Zakynthos 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zakynthos

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 Zakynthos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,527 in Zakynthos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakynthos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $393 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $412 in Zakynthos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Zakynthos, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,684 in Zakynthos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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