Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kretinga and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kretinga: $1,306 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kretinga
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Kretinga Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Kretinga

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,306

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kretinga 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 Kretinga and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,306 per month in Kretinga vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kretinga $1,306
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,945 per month in Kretinga vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kretinga $1,945
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $2,584 per month in Kretinga vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kretinga $2,584
Istanbul $3,256

Kretinga is about 14% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kretinga sits 4% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.47 €11.09

$11.96 ₺592

4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 €45.11

$57.2 ₺2,834

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 €5.95

$9.51 ₺471

-29.65%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.85

$4.40 ₺218

-27.27%

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

$2.25 €2.00

$1.75 ₺86.6

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.56 ₺27.57

239.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.93

$4.71 ₺233

17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 €4.45

$6.14 ₺304

-18.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.24 ₺61.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$0.95 ₺47.25

53.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.28 ₺113

-20.18%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.57

$2.45 ₺121

17.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 €8.88

$10.56 ₺523

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 €5.14

$5.50 ₺272

5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.48 €8.43

$21.65 ₺1,072

-56.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.83 ₺90.6

-7.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 €1.28

$2.29 ₺113

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.28 ₺63.4

29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$1.82 ₺90.1

63.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.66 ₺32.74

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.63 ₺31.14

34.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.27 ₺62.8

14.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.56 ₺27.62

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.30

$2.36 ₺117

152.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.42

$12.98 ₺642

-35.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.48 ₺123

-35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$3.50 ₺174

-52.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.82 ₺40.77

19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.77 €26.48

$65.2 ₺3,228

-54.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 €2.71

$1.33 ₺65.7

129.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.90 ₺44.60

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.54 €12.05

$10.91 ₺540

24.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.43 ₺70.7

32.17%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-45.21%

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

$27.3K €24.3K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-36.79%

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

$203 €181

$88.8 ₺4,395

128.88%

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

$13.65 €12.14

$11.69 ₺579

16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.10 €12.55

$16.09 ₺797

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.31 €34.08

$76.3 ₺3,776

-49.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €20.62

$22.72 ₺1,125

2.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.90 €7.91

$8.26 ₺409

7.75%

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

$476 €423

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-53.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,312 €8,283

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-63.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 €85.1

$53.3 ₺2,636

79.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.89 €37.26

$40.55 ₺2,008

3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 €71.2

$100 ₺4,956

-20.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$93.5 ₺4,630

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 €518

$977 ₺48.4K

-40.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €346

$627 ₺31.0K

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €692

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-60.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 €524

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-48.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 €2,479

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-9.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,995 €1,774

$1,787 ₺88.5K

11.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,407 €1,251

$1,213 ₺60.1K

15.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

40.69

-90.19%

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

Last update for Kretinga: October 20, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kretinga

$389 29.8%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 61.1% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kretinga

$231 17.7%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 49.5% $114

Groceries & Markets

Kretinga

$220 16.8%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 19.6% $43

Eating Out

Kretinga

$213 16.3%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 4.5% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Kretinga

$157 12%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 17.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Kretinga

$56 4.3%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 65.4% $37

Getting Around

Kretinga

$41 3.1%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 82.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $583 in Kretinga versus $977 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 16% higher in Kretinga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Kretinga versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $263 – making Kretinga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇹 Kretinga

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h ahead of Kretinga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,010

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

Kretinga Istanbul 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kretinga
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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

Kretinga vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,959 per month in Kretinga and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kretinga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Kretinga and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Istanbul, 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 Kretinga, where all-in costs run around $1,306, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Kretinga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kretinga – 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 Kretinga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.