Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucca and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,017 in Lucca, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Lucca
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Lucca Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Lucca

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,017

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,017 per month in Lucca vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lucca $2,017
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,004 per month in Lucca vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lucca $3,004
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,990 per month in Lucca vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lucca $3,990
Istanbul $3,281

Lucca costs about 30% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lucca and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lucca by 49%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 €17.59

$12.30 ₺609

60.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 €71.7

$54.7 ₺2,708

47.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 €10.53

$9.22 ₺456

28.42%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.79

$4.40 ₺218

-54.09%

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

$3.30 €2.93

$1.68 ₺83.1

96.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.59 ₺29.40

142.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$4.70 ₺233

43.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.52

$5.91 ₺292

-14.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.21 ₺60.0

35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.15

$0.89 ₺44.10

171.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.19 ₺108

36.53%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.56

$2.35 ₺116

70.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.76 €18.46

$10.42 ₺516

99.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.43 €12.83

$5.65 ₺280

155.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.07 €18.74

$20.94 ₺1,037

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.90 ₺94.1

25.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.31 ₺114

-7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.28 ₺63.1

96.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.84

$1.80 ₺89.0

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.65 ₺32.16

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$0.64 ₺31.91

234.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.25 ₺62.1

45.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.56 ₺27.58

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 €6.28

$2.37 ₺118

197.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

$13.42 ₺664

-41.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.40 ₺119

-19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.50

$3.48 ₺172

-19.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.74

$0.89 ₺43.84

119.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.12 €30.35

$67.4 ₺3,338

-49.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €4.03

$1.29 ₺64.1

251.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 €1.44

$0.92 ₺45.70

76.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.76 €24.69

$10.96 ₺542

153.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.47 ₺72.9

43.54%

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

$36.5K €32.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-28.19%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-22.09%

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

$336 €299

$88.6 ₺4,387

279.17%

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

$11.93 €10.62

$11.59 ₺574

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 €28.70

$15.81 ₺783

104.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.8 €58.6

$77.2 ₺3,820

-14.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.0 €44.47

$22.74 ₺1,126

119.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 €8.77

$8.14 ₺403

21.13%

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

$645 €574

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-35.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-55.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.6

$54.0 ₺2,671

86.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 €42.52

$40.83 ₺2,021

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 €80.5

$98.9 ₺4,895

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €146

$96.6 ₺4,783

70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$985 ₺48.7K

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €589

$650 ₺32.2K

1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 €1,273

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-27.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €900

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,989 €3,549

$3,138 ₺155.4K

27.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,088 €1,857

$1,780 ₺88.1K

17.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,765 €1,570

$1,205 ₺59.7K

46.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

40.92

-90.96%

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

Last update for Lucca: 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

Lucca

$663 32.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 1.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lucca

$380 18.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 69.5% $264

Groceries & Markets

Lucca

$372 18.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 30.2% $112

Eating Out

Lucca

$281 13.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 20.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Lucca

$182 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 28.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Lucca

$86 4.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 9.2% $7.9

Getting Around

Lucca

$55 2.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 40.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $796 in Lucca 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 46% higher in Lucca, 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 $81.0 in Lucca versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Lucca

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

23:47 11:47 PM

1 h ahead of Lucca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,046

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

Lucca Istanbul 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lucca
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

Lucca vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lucca is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,026 per month in Lucca 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 $645 per month in Lucca 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 43% more in Lucca, 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 Lucca at $2,017. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lucca 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, Lucca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.