Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,845 in Mataro, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Mataro
Learn more

Mataro Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Mataro

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,845

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,845 per month in Mataro vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mataro $1,845
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,691 per month in Mataro vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mataro $2,691
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Mataro vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mataro $3,536
Istanbul $3,281

Mataro costs about 19% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mataro and Istanbul sit above the global median – Mataro by 37%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.67

$12.30 ₺609

34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.3

$54.7 ₺2,708

3.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$9.22 ₺456

44.36%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.88

$4.40 ₺218

-52.05%

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

$2.32 €2.06

$1.68 ₺83.1

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$0.59 ₺29.40

227.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.45

$4.70 ₺233

-17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$5.91 ₺292

-44.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.21 ₺60.0

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$0.89 ₺44.10

123.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$2.19 ₺108

-31.51%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.47

$2.35 ₺116

65.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.98

$10.42 ₺516

61.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 €7.86

$5.65 ₺280

56.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.72

$20.94 ₺1,037

-4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$1.90 ₺94.1

42.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$2.31 ₺114

-11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$1.28 ₺63.1

102.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.80 ₺89.0

52.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$0.65 ₺32.16

209.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.64 ₺31.91

254.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.25 ₺62.1

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.56 ₺27.58

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 €5.63

$2.37 ₺118

166.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.43 €4.83

$13.42 ₺664

-59.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.40 ₺119

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$3.48 ₺172

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.28

$0.89 ₺43.84

188.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 €31.35

$67.4 ₺3,338

-47.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.29 ₺64.1

79.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.92 ₺45.70

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 €26.00

$10.96 ₺542

166.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.47 ₺72.9

21.77%

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

$34.5K €30.7K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-32.08%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-36.15%

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

$181 €161

$88.6 ₺4,387

103.96%

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

$12.10 €10.77

$11.59 ₺574

4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 €25.75

$15.81 ₺783

83.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 €54.0

$77.2 ₺3,820

-21.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 €12.40

$22.74 ₺1,126

-38.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 €9.35

$8.14 ₺403

29.12%

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

$498 €443

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-50.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,969 €7,089

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-68.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 €77.6

$54.0 ₺2,671

61.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 €34.71

$40.83 ₺2,021

-4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 €87.0

$98.9 ₺4,895

-1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.5

$96.6 ₺4,783

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 €849

$985 ₺48.7K

-3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €704

$650 ₺32.2K

21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 €1,200

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,048

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-0.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,404 €3,028

$3,138 ₺155.4K

8.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,818 €2,507

$1,780 ₺88.1K

58.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,889 €1,681

$1,205 ₺59.7K

56.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

40.92

-91.98%

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

Last update for Mataro: 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

Mataro

$791 42.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 17.9% $141

Groceries & Markets

Mataro

$306 16.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 15.1% $46

Eating Out

Mataro

$240 13%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 7.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataro

$222 12%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 47.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Mataro

$151 8.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 13.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Mataro

$82 4.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 14.3% $12

Getting Around

Mataro

$53 2.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 45.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Mataro 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 57% higher in Mataro, 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 $57.0 in Mataro versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Mataro

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

1 h ahead of Mataro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

129,870

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mataro Istanbul 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mataro
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

Mataro vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mataro is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,768 per month in Mataro 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 $498 per month in Mataro 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 18% more in Mataro, 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 Mataro at $1,845. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro 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, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.