Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisse and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,540 in Lisse, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisse
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,540
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,540 per month in Lisse vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Lisse $2,540
  • Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Lisse vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Lisse $3,792
  • Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $5,045 per month in Lisse vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Lisse $5,045
  • Istanbul $3,281

Lisse costs about 64% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisse and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lisse by 88%, Istanbul by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.46 €19.98
$12.30 ₺609
82.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.1 €80.2
$54.7 ₺2,708
64.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 €9.06
$9.22 ₺456
10.52%
Cappuccino
$3.67 €3.27
$4.40 ₺218
-16.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 €2.97
$1.68 ₺83.1
98.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 €2.48
$0.59 ₺29.40
372.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.69 €5.95
$4.70 ₺233
42.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 €3.76
$5.91 ₺292
-28.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.21 ₺60.0
23.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 €2.06
$0.89 ₺44.10
160.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.50 €2.23
$2.19 ₺108
14.16%
Eggs
$4.53 €4.03
$2.35 ₺116
92.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.77 €13.14
$10.42 ₺516
41.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.84 €11.42
$5.65 ₺280
127.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.63 €17.46
$20.94 ₺1,037
-6.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 €2.37
$1.90 ₺94.1
40.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 €2.00
$2.31 ₺114
-3.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.28 ₺63.1
53.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.70 €3.29
$1.80 ₺89.0
105.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$0.65 ₺32.16
104.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 €1.18
$0.64 ₺31.91
106.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.25 ₺62.1
-10.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.83
$0.56 ₺27.58
67.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.44 €12.85
$2.37 ₺118
509.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.82 €5.17
$13.42 ₺664
-56.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$2.40 ₺119
-45.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.70
$3.48 ₺172
-45.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.38 €3.00
$0.89 ₺43.84
279.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$91.4 €81.3
$67.4 ₺3,338
35.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 €4.23
$1.29 ₺64.1
268.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.34 €2.97
$0.92 ₺45.70
263.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.18 €29.51
$10.96 ₺542
202.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.47 ₺72.9
72.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0K €37.3K
$50.8K ₺2.5M
-17.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K €35.4K
$44.5K ₺2.2M
-10.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$279 €248
$88.6 ₺4,387
215.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.42 €25.28
$11.59 ₺574
145.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.2 €48.21
$15.81 ₺783
242.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.22 €36.66
$77.2 ₺3,820
-46.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.89 €21.25
$22.74 ₺1,126
5.06%
Cinema Ticket
$16.90 €15.03
$8.14 ₺403
107.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,468 €2,195
$1,008 ₺49.9K
144.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K €10.7K
$25.6K ₺1.3M
-53.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.0 €86.3
$54.0 ₺2,671
79.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.68 €37.97
$40.83 ₺2,021
4.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$98.9 ₺4,895
7.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 €122
$96.6 ₺4,783
42.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,426 €1,269
$985 ₺48.7K
44.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,152 €1,025
$650 ₺32.2K
77.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,412 €2,145
$1,983 ₺98.2K
21.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,947 €1,732
$1,180 ₺58.4K
64.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,445 €4,843
$3,138 ₺155.4K
73.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,367 €3,884
$1,780 ₺88.1K
145.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisse
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
40.92
-91.69%

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

Last update for Lisse: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisse
$1.2K
Istanbul
$650 43.6% $502
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisse
$362
Istanbul
$116 67.9% $246
Groceries & Markets
Lisse
$331
Istanbul
$260 21.6% $72
Eating Out
Lisse
$321
Istanbul
$223 30.4% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Lisse
$173
Istanbul
$131 24.3% $42
Getting Around
Lisse
$126
Istanbul
$77 39.2% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Lisse
$75
Istanbul
$93 24.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,426 in Lisse 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Lisse versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Lisse
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
04:39 4:39 AM
05:39 5:39 AM
1 h ahead of Lisse
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,995
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisse Istanbul 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisse
  • 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
Lisse vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Lisse?
Yes – Lisse is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,810 per month in Lisse and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,468 per month in Lisse and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Lisse and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 28% more in Lisse, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lisse or in Istanbul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Lisse at $2,540. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lisse or Istanbul more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Lisse or Istanbul?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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