Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maltepe and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Maltepe: $988 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Maltepe
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Maltepe Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Maltepe

🇹🇷 Turkey

$988

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $988 per month in Maltepe vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Maltepe $988
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $1,541 per month in Maltepe vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Maltepe $1,541
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $2,094 per month in Maltepe vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Maltepe $2,094
Istanbul $3,197

Maltepe is about 35% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Maltepe sits 27% below the global median, while Istanbul is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.86 ₺491

$11.59 ₺577

-14.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.96 ₺1,492

$54.7 ₺2,724

-45.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 ₺370

$9.39 ₺468

-20.87%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₺185

$4.23 ₺211

-12.06%

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

$1.05 ₺52.3

$1.72 ₺85.6

-38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₺18.61

$0.57 ₺28.25

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ₺113

$4.65 ₺232

-51.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₺147

$6.84 ₺341

-57.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺49.34

$1.20 ₺60.0

-17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₺37.45

$0.94 ₺46.96

-20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺114

$2.24 ₺112

1.79%

Eggs

$2.33 ₺116

$2.42 ₺121

-3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 ₺510

$10.24 ₺510

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 ₺251

$5.38 ₺268

-6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 ₺945

$21.19 ₺1,056

-10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₺82.9

$1.89 ₺94.2

-12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.9

$2.22 ₺111

-14.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₺52.5

$1.26 ₺62.7

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₺62.0

$1.81 ₺90.0

-30.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ₺30.72

$0.70 ₺34.83

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₺19.49

$0.64 ₺32.12

-39.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₺37.69

$1.22 ₺60.8

-37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.36

$0.55 ₺27.35

7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 ₺104

$2.32 ₺116

-9.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 ₺645

$13.31 ₺663

-2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₺99.3

$2.33 ₺116

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₺109

$3.46 ₺172

-36.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺34.37

$0.91 ₺45.17

-24.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,305

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$1.29 ₺64.2

-20.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ₺44.43

$0.86 ₺42.65

3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 ₺338

$11.09 ₺553

-38.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₺66.9

$1.42 ₺70.7

-5.63%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-9.68%

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

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-5.81%

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

$75.1 ₺3,743

$87.7 ₺4,371

-14.37%

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

$10.92 ₺544

$11.28 ₺562

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.44 ₺720

$15.89 ₺792

-9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 ₺2,651

$75.9 ₺3,782

-29.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ₺303

$8.20 ₺409

-25.85%

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

$619 ₺30.8K

$1,028 ₺51.2K

-39.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K ₺550.9K

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-57.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.01 ₺2,193

$53.3 ₺2,657

-17.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 ₺1,718

$39.69 ₺1,978

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 ₺4,025

$99.8 ₺4,971

-19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 ₺4,530

$93.5 ₺4,659

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 ₺20.5K

$1,003 ₺50.0K

-58.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₺15.0K

$628 ₺31.3K

-52.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₺38.8K

$1,963 ₺97.8K

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 ₺27.9K

$1,122 ₺55.9K

-50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,408 ₺70.2K

$3,075 ₺153.2K

-54.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ₺50.3K

$1,753 ₺87.3K

-42.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

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

Last update for Maltepe: October 25, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maltepe

$301 30.4%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 109% $328

Groceries & Markets

Maltepe

$232 23.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 11.4% $26

Eating Out

Maltepe

$169 17.1%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 29% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Maltepe

$113 11.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 14.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maltepe

$100 10.2%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 14.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Maltepe

$65 6.6%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 41.2% $27

Getting Around

Maltepe

$8.3 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$76 5% 816% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Maltepe versus $1,003 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 $30 in Maltepe versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $258 – making Maltepe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Maltepe

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

Same time as Maltepe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

523,137

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Maltepe Istanbul 16 km

From you

Maltepe
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

Maltepe vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,482 per month in Maltepe and $2,274 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Maltepe and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Maltepe – 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.