Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,794 in Mestre, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Mestre
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Mestre Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Mestre

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,794

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Mestre vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mestre $1,794
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,822 per month in Mestre vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mestre $2,822
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,851 per month in Mestre vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mestre $3,851
Istanbul $3,281

Mestre costs about 16% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mestre and Istanbul sit above the global median – Mestre by 33%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.40 €11.92

$12.30 ₺609

8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 €79.5

$54.7 ₺2,708

63.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 €10.74

$9.22 ₺456

31.02%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.89

$4.40 ₺218

-51.59%

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

$2.85 €2.54

$1.68 ₺83.1

69.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.31

$0.59 ₺29.40

150.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 €5.97

$4.70 ₺233

42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 €4.68

$5.91 ₺292

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.21 ₺60.0

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.20

$0.89 ₺44.10

177.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$2.19 ₺108

39.27%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.36

$2.35 ₺116

60.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.04 €15.16

$10.42 ₺516

63.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.43

$5.65 ₺280

127.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.43 €19.06

$20.94 ₺1,037

2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 €2.69

$1.90 ₺94.1

58.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.31 ₺114

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$1.28 ₺63.1

176.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 €2.78

$1.80 ₺89.0

73.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.65 ₺32.16

210.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.64 ₺31.91

251.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.25 ₺62.1

32.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.51

$0.56 ₺27.58

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 €5.94

$2.37 ₺118

181.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.59 €5.87

$13.42 ₺664

-50.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.40 ₺119

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.60

$3.48 ₺172

-48.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$0.89 ₺43.84

92.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.26 €36.70

$67.4 ₺3,338

-38.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.18

$1.29 ₺64.1

264.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.92 ₺45.70

51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.34 €27.88

$10.96 ₺542

185.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.47 ₺72.9

41.50%

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

$36.7K €32.6K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-27.81%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-19.84%

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

$208 €185

$88.6 ₺4,387

135.23%

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

$8.63 €7.67

$11.59 ₺574

-25.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 €26.77

$15.81 ₺783

90.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.40 €42.16

$77.2 ₺3,820

-38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 €17.52

$22.74 ₺1,126

-13.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 €9.88

$8.14 ₺403

36.49%

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

$681 €605

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €10.1K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-55.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 €69.2

$54.0 ₺2,671

44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.27 €29.60

$40.83 ₺2,021

-18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.7

$98.9 ₺4,895

5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €148

$96.6 ₺4,783

72.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 €735

$985 ₺48.7K

-16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 €588

$650 ₺32.2K

1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,291

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-26.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,057

$1,180 ₺58.4K

0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,889 €1,681

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-39.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,579 €1,405

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-11.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,955 €1,739

$1,205 ₺59.7K

62.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

40.92

-91.84%

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

Last update for Mestre: 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

Mestre

$661 36.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 1.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Mestre

$354 19.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 26.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mestre

$247 13.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 53.1% $131

Eating Out

Mestre

$230 12.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 3.1% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mestre

$172 9.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 24% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Mestre

$70 3.9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 34.2% $24

Getting Around

Mestre

$60 3.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 28.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Mestre 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 62% higher in Mestre, 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 $89.0 in Mestre versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Mestre

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

20:22 8:22 PM

1 h ahead of Mestre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,377

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

Mestre Istanbul 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mestre
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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

Mestre vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mestre is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,691 per month in Mestre 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 $681 per month in Mestre 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 36% more in Mestre, 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 Mestre at $1,794. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mestre 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, Mestre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.