Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leicester and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,165 in Leicester, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Leicester
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Leicester Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Leicester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,165

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,165 per month in Leicester vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leicester $2,165
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Leicester vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leicester $3,069
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $3,974 per month in Leicester vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Leicester $3,974
Istanbul $3,272

Leicester costs about 42% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leicester and Istanbul sit above the global median – Leicester by 62%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 £16.70

$11.88 ₺585

86.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 £49.31

$55.1 ₺2,714

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 £7.12

$9.14 ₺450

3.06%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.72

$4.24 ₺209

16.04%

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

$2.32 £1.75

$1.75 ₺86.0

32.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £1.00

$0.54 ₺26.83

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £5.03

$4.69 ₺231

42.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £4.03

$5.97 ₺294

-10.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.29

$1.26 ₺62.1

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.17

$0.95 ₺46.81

63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.64

$2.31 ₺114

-6.06%

Eggs

$4.01 £3.03

$2.47 ₺122

62.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 £7.27

$10.55 ₺520

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 £6.56

$5.60 ₺276

55.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 £10.78

$21.21 ₺1,045

-32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.22

$1.93 ₺95.1

51.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 £1.10

$2.29 ₺113

-36.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 £1.95

$1.28 ₺63.1

101.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.72

$1.84 ₺90.8

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.13

$0.67 ₺32.86

123.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$0.59 ₺29.31

162.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 £0.87

$1.33 ₺65.4

-13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.12

$0.59 ₺29.10

150.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.57 £15.54

$2.36 ₺116

771.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 £8.32

$13.47 ₺664

-18.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.86

$2.42 ₺119

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.49

$3.54 ₺174

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.08

$0.83 ₺40.64

390.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 £75.7

$66.5 ₺3,273

50.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.68

$1.35 ₺66.6

260.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.05 £3.06

$0.85 ₺42.05

376.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.59

$1.47 ₺72.3

43.54%

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

$38.6K £29.2K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-25.18%

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

$40.9K £30.9K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-7.89%

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

$316 £239

$89.2 ₺4,395

253.74%

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

$15.97 £12.07

$11.60 ₺572

37.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.49 £32.86

$16.10 ₺793

170.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.84 £24.06

$77.3 ₺3,805

-58.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 £19.64

$22.66 ₺1,116

14.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 £8.90

$8.34 ₺411

41.13%

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

$1,250 £945

$974 ₺48.0K

28.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K £19.9K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 £62.9

$52.7 ₺2,597

57.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 £31.70

$39.16 ₺1,929

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.4

$103 ₺5,083

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.9

$96.6 ₺4,759

9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 £747

$994 ₺49.0K

-0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 £630

$629 ₺31.0K

32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,754 £1,325

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 £904

$1,155 ₺56.9K

3.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,921 £3,719

$3,160 ₺155.7K

55.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 £2,626

$1,838 ₺90.5K

89.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 £2,116

$1,203 ₺59.3K

132.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

41.09

-87.03%

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

Last update for Leicester: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leicester

$833 38.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 24.5% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leicester

$375 17.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 68.8% $258

Eating Out

Leicester

$323 14.8%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 32.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Leicester

$295 13.6%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 10.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Leicester

$152 7%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 13.8% $21

Getting Around

Leicester

$142 6.5%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 46.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Leicester

$55 2.6%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 69.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $989 in Leicester versus $994 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 133% higher in Leicester, 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 $65.0 in Leicester versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Leicester

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

2 h ahead of Leicester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

305,700

15,701,602

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Leicester Istanbul 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Leicester
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

Leicester vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Leicester is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,247 per month in Leicester and $2,289 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 $1,250 per month in Leicester and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Leicester, 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 $1,526, than in Leicester at $2,165. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leicester 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, Leicester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.