Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,531 in Milan, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Milan
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Milan Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Milan

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,531

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,531 per month in Milan vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Milan $2,531
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,874 per month in Milan vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Milan $3,874
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $5,216 per month in Milan vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Milan $5,216
Istanbul $3,272

Milan costs about 66% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Milan and Istanbul sit above the global median – Milan by 89%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 €20.18

$11.88 ₺585

90.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 €78.7

$55.1 ₺2,714

60.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.91

$9.14 ₺450

45.95%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.93

$4.24 ₺209

-49.06%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$1.75 ₺86.0

109.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$0.54 ₺26.83

237.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €6.12

$4.69 ₺231

46.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$5.97 ₺294

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.26 ₺62.1

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 €2.92

$0.95 ₺46.81

245.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.27

$2.31 ₺114

58.87%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.40

$2.47 ₺122

99.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.72 €20.27

$10.55 ₺520

115.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.25 €12.72

$5.60 ₺276

154.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.58 €20.15

$21.21 ₺1,045

6.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$1.93 ₺95.1

54.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.29 ₺113

6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.00

$1.28 ₺63.1

163.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 €3.75

$1.84 ₺90.8

128.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$0.67 ₺32.86

244.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$0.59 ₺29.31

252.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.33 ₺65.4

29.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.59 ₺29.10

-3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.52

$2.36 ₺116

209.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.79 €8.74

$13.47 ₺664

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.42 ₺119

-16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.21

$3.54 ₺174

-30.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.19

$0.83 ₺40.64

196.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.94 €39.21

$66.5 ₺3,273

-33.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 €6.96

$1.35 ₺66.6

477.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.03

$0.85 ₺42.05

167.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.7 €57.8

$10.86 ₺535

496.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.47 ₺72.3

48.30%

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

$36.0K €32.1K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-30.33%

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

$35.8K €32.0K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-19.43%

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

$252 €225

$89.2 ₺4,395

182.60%

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

$10.22 €9.12

$11.60 ₺572

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.41 €26.24

$16.10 ₺793

82.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.6 €76.4

$77.3 ₺3,805

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.45 €30.74

$22.66 ₺1,116

52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 €10.84

$8.34 ₺411

45.56%

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

$837 €747

$974 ₺48.0K

-14.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K €17.1K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-25.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.6

$52.7 ₺2,597

92.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 €44.38

$39.16 ₺1,929

26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €105

$103 ₺5,083

13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$96.6 ₺4,759

71.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,531

$994 ₺49.0K

72.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,034

$629 ₺31.0K

84.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,413 €3,045

$2,024 ₺99.7K

68.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 €1,844

$1,155 ₺56.9K

78.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,479

$3,160 ₺155.7K

236.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,004 €4,466

$1,838 ₺90.5K

172.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,190 €1,954

$1,203 ₺59.3K

81.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

41.09

-92.26%

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

Last update for Milan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milan

$1.2K 45.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 45.7% $529

Groceries & Markets

Milan

$415 16.2%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 36.4% $151

Eating Out

Milan

$317 12.4%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 31.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milan

$292 11.4%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 59.9% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Milan

$195 7.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 32.8% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Milan

$110 4.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 14.5% $16

Getting Around

Milan

$73 2.9%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 3.3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,715 in Milan versus $994 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 82% higher in Milan, 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 $88.0 in Milan versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Milan

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h ahead of Milan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,394,798

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Milan Istanbul 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Milan
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

Milan vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Milan is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,797 per month in Milan and $2,289 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 $837 per month in Milan and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Milan, 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 $1,526, than in Milan at $2,531. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Milan 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, Milan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.