Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krefeld and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,899 in Krefeld, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Krefeld
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Krefeld Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Krefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,899

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krefeld and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Krefeld and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,899 per month in Krefeld vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Krefeld $1,899
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,932 per month in Krefeld vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Krefeld $2,932
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,964 per month in Krefeld vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Krefeld $3,964
Istanbul $3,281

Krefeld costs about 23% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Krefeld and Istanbul sit above the global median – Krefeld by 41%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.95

$12.30 ₺609

36.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 €63.7

$54.7 ₺2,708

30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.93 €11.50

$9.22 ₺456

40.24%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.58

$4.40 ₺218

-8.41%

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

$3.69 €3.28

$1.68 ₺83.1

119.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.85

$0.59 ₺29.40

442.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$4.70 ₺233

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.85

$5.91 ₺292

-7.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.21 ₺60.0

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.89 ₺44.10

135.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.22

$2.19 ₺108

65.30%

Eggs

$3.74 €3.33

$2.35 ₺116

59.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 €11.70

$10.42 ₺516

26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 €10.98

$5.65 ₺280

118.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.32 €20.75

$20.94 ₺1,037

11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$1.90 ₺94.1

58.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.31 ₺114

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.28 ₺63.1

86.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$1.80 ₺89.0

131.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 €1.25

$0.65 ₺32.16

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$0.64 ₺31.91

85.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.25 ₺62.1

28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.92

$0.56 ₺27.58

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 €8.88

$2.37 ₺118

321.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.86

$13.42 ₺664

-50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.40 ₺119

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$3.48 ₺172

-55.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €3.04

$0.89 ₺43.84

284.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 €53.9

$67.4 ₺3,338

-10.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.50

$1.29 ₺64.1

292.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.95

$0.92 ₺45.70

139.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 €30.26

$10.96 ₺542

210.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.47 ₺72.9

53.74%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-36.20%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-14.06%

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

$300 €267

$88.6 ₺4,387

238.69%

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

$25.28 €22.49

$11.59 ₺574

118.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.06 €36.52

$15.81 ₺783

159.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.80 €35.41

$77.2 ₺3,820

-48.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 €20.55

$22.74 ₺1,126

1.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 €12.05

$8.14 ₺403

66.34%

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

$465 €414

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-53.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K €19.4K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €79.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

64.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 €36.56

$40.83 ₺2,021

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.3

$98.9 ₺4,895

6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$96.6 ₺4,783

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 €637

$985 ₺48.7K

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 €519

$650 ₺32.2K

-10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 €1,267

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-28.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 €1,004

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-4.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,889

$3,138 ₺155.4K

3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,481 €3,985

$1,780 ₺88.1K

151.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,002 €1,781

$1,205 ₺59.7K

66.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

40.92

-90.32%

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

Last update for Krefeld: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Krefeld

$583 30.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 11.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krefeld

$366 19.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 68.3% $250

Groceries & Markets

Krefeld

$339 17.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 23.4% $79

Eating Out

Krefeld

$289 15.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 22.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Krefeld

$164 8.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 20.4% $34

Getting Around

Krefeld

$90 4.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 14.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Krefeld

$67 3.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 39.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Krefeld versus $985 in Istanbul. 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 66% higher in Krefeld, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Krefeld versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Krefeld

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

00:09 12:09 AM

1 h ahead of Krefeld

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,058

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Krefeld Istanbul 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Krefeld
Istanbul

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

Krefeld vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Krefeld is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,848 per month in Krefeld and $2,325 in Istanbul. 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 $465 per month in Krefeld and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Krefeld, 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 Krefeld at $1,899. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Krefeld 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, Krefeld makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.