Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zell am see

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
Learn more

Zell am see Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zell am see

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 Zell am see actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,307 in Zell am see, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Zell am see $2,307

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,305 in Zell am see, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Zell am see $3,305

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,304 in Zell am see, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Zell am see $4,304

Istanbul is about 33% cheaper than Zell am see, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Zell am see sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Zell am see by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$16.93 €15.06

-27.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$84.3 €75.0

-35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.06 €8.94

-8.35%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.35 €3.87

1.15%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.53 €3.14

-52.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.84 €2.53

-79.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.45 €4.85

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.33 €4.74

10.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.67 €1.48

-27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.38 €2.12

-62.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.39 €2.13

-8.37%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.68 €4.16

-49.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.25 €19.79

-53.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.68 €11.28

-55.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.27 €18.92

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.90 €2.58

-34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.52 €2.24

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.29 €2.93

-61.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.12 €3.66

-56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.48 €2.20

-73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$3.19 €2.84

-79.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.14 €1.90

-41.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.28 €1.14

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.65 €6.81

-69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.71 €7.74

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.31 €1.16

83.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.20 €1.96

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.84 €2.53

-68.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$47.40 €42.16

42.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.92 €2.59

-55.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.86 €0.76

6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$30.62 €27.24

-64.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.75 €1.56

-16.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.5K €27.1K

66.62%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.1K €26.8K

47.90%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$341 €304

-74.05%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$15.66 €13.93

-25.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$38.35 €34.11

-58.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$42.40 €37.72

81.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$22.63 €20.13

0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$15.52 €13.81

-47.55%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$454 €404

121.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$15.7K €14.0K

62.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$82.2 €73.1

-34.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$58.6 €52.1

-30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$109 €97.3

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$128 €114

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$928 €825

6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$928 €826

-30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,645 €1,464

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,293 €1,150

-8.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$7,702 €6,851

-59.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$6,040 €5,372

-70.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.5

1069.14%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Zell am see

$928 40.3% 42.9% $279

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Zell am see

$392 17% 51% $133

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Zell am see

$281 12.2% 25.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Zell am see

$170 7.4% 30.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Zell am see

$395 17.2% 241% $279

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Zell am see

$73 3.2% 21.4% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Zell am see

$66 2.9% 14.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $928 in Zell am see. 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 $84.0 in Zell am see. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $392 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

10,131

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Zell am see 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zell am see

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 Zell am see: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zell am see is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,460 in Zell am see. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $454 in Zell am see. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Zell am see, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Zell am see at $2,307. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.