Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matera and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Matera: $1,472 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

72

Cost of Living Index in Matera
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Matera Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Matera

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,472

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Matera vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Matera $1,472
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,358 per month in Matera vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Matera $2,358
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Matera vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Matera $3,245
Istanbul $3,281

Matera is about 5% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Matera and Istanbul sit above the global median – Matera by 9%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 €13.23

$12.30 ₺609

20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 €55.1

$54.7 ₺2,708

13.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.86

$9.22 ₺456

20.17%

Cappuccino

$1.82 €1.62

$4.40 ₺218

-58.64%

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

$2.21 €1.96

$1.68 ₺83.1

31.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.59 ₺29.40

91.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.88

$4.70 ₺233

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$5.91 ₺292

-44.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.21 ₺60.0

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.44

$0.89 ₺44.10

82.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.19 ₺108

48.86%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.16

$2.35 ₺116

51.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.56 €13.84

$10.42 ₺516

49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 €10.92

$5.65 ₺280

117.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 €18.27

$20.94 ₺1,037

-1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.90 ₺94.1

32.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.31 ₺114

-9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.28 ₺63.1

-14.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.30

$1.80 ₺89.0

106.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$0.65 ₺32.16

173.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.64 ₺31.91

164.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.25 ₺62.1

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 €0.38

$0.56 ₺27.58

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €6.03

$2.37 ₺118

185.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 €5.47

$13.42 ₺664

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.40 ₺119

-25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.70

$3.48 ₺172

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.89 ₺43.84

95.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.36 €18.11

$67.4 ₺3,338

-69.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 €3.92

$1.29 ₺64.1

241.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.92 ₺45.70

36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.36 €20.78

$10.96 ₺542

113.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.47 ₺72.9

33.33%

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

$36.3K €32.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-28.60%

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

$35.6K €31.7K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-20.00%

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

$203 €180

$88.6 ₺4,387

128.89%

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

$9.48 €8.43

$11.59 ₺574

-18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 €27.67

$15.81 ₺783

96.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 €48.77

$77.2 ₺3,820

-28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 €21.33

$22.74 ₺1,126

5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.95

$8.14 ₺403

37.47%

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

$453 €403

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-55.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,131

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 €59.6

$54.0 ₺2,671

24.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.36 €37.68

$40.83 ₺2,021

3.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.3

$98.9 ₺4,895

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €119

$96.6 ₺4,783

38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 €620

$985 ₺48.7K

-29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 €367

$650 ₺32.2K

-36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 €942

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €771

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 €2,425

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-13.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,234 €2,877

$1,780 ₺88.1K

81.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,759 €1,564

$1,205 ₺59.7K

45.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

40.92

-92.47%

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

Last update for Matera: 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

Matera

$413 28%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 57.5% $237

Groceries & Markets

Matera

$324 22%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 19.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matera

$243 16.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 52.3% $127

Eating Out

Matera

$221 15%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 0.8% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Matera

$156 10.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 16.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Matera

$77 5.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 21% $16

Getting Around

Matera

$38 2.6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 102% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $697 in Matera 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 Matera, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Matera versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Matera

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

1 h ahead of Matera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,607

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

Matera Istanbul 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Matera
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

Matera vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Matera 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 Matera, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $453 per month in Matera and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matera, where all-in costs run around $1,472, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Matera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matera – 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 Matera. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.