Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,569 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,569
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,793 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,793
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $5,018 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,018
Istanbul $3,281

Leeuwarden costs about 66% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leeuwarden and Istanbul sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 90%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 €19.48

$12.30 ₺609

78.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$54.7 ₺2,708

107.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 €13.66

$9.22 ₺456

66.49%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.42

$4.40 ₺218

-12.50%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$1.68 ₺83.1

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.61

$0.59 ₺29.40

396.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$4.70 ₺233

43.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$5.91 ₺292

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.21 ₺60.0

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.89 ₺44.10

108.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.19 ₺108

10.50%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.79

$2.35 ₺116

81.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.19

$10.42 ₺516

20.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 €12.69

$5.65 ₺280

152.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$20.94 ₺1,037

-24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.90 ₺94.1

20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.31 ₺114

7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.28 ₺63.1

49.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.55

$1.80 ₺89.0

184.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.65 ₺32.16

170.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$0.64 ₺31.91

198.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.25 ₺62.1

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.56 ₺27.58

73.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.98 €12.44

$2.37 ₺118

489.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$13.42 ₺664

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.40 ₺119

-22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.48 ₺172

-50.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.02

$0.89 ₺43.84

282.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 €114

$67.4 ₺3,338

90.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 €7.83

$1.29 ₺64.1

582.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 €3.41

$0.92 ₺45.70

316.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 €44.27

$10.96 ₺542

354.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.47 ₺72.9

66.67%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-17.82%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-11.93%

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

$365 €325

$88.6 ₺4,387

312.36%

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

$43.62 €38.80

$11.59 ₺574

276.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 €40.81

$15.81 ₺783

190.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 €33.01

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$22.74 ₺1,126

-19.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 €14.93

$8.14 ₺403

106.27%

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

$1,330 €1,183

$1,008 ₺49.9K

31.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-11.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$54.0 ₺2,671

110.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 €35.01

$40.83 ₺2,021

-3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €115

$98.9 ₺4,895

30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$96.6 ₺4,783

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,228

$985 ₺48.7K

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €909

$650 ₺32.2K

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,779 €3,361

$1,983 ₺98.2K

90.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 €1,407

$1,180 ₺58.4K

34.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$3,138 ₺155.4K

15.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 €2,914

$1,780 ₺88.1K

84.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 €2,672

$1,205 ₺59.7K

149.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

40.92

-89.30%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 36.4% $372

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 74.5% $339

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 33.9% $115

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 20.2% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 30.4% $57

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 54.8% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 32.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Leeuwarden 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 149% higher in Leeuwarden, 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 $113 in Leeuwarden versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

1 h ahead of Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

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

Leeuwarden Istanbul 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
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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

Leeuwarden vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Leeuwarden is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,853 per month in Leeuwarden 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 $1,330 per month in Leeuwarden 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 25% more in Leeuwarden, 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 Leeuwarden at $2,569. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden 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, Leeuwarden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.