Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neu-Ulm and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,922 in Neu-Ulm, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Neu-Ulm
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,922
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Neu-Ulm vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Neu-Ulm $1,922
  • Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $2,893 per month in Neu-Ulm vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Neu-Ulm $2,893
  • Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $3,864 per month in Neu-Ulm vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Neu-Ulm $3,864
  • Istanbul $3,256

Neu-Ulm costs about 26% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Neu-Ulm and Istanbul sit above the global median – Neu-Ulm by 42%, Istanbul by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €14.95
$11.96 ₺592
40.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.6 €60.1
$57.2 ₺2,834
18.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 €11.06
$9.51 ₺471
30.70%
Cappuccino
$3.92 €3.49
$4.40 ₺218
-10.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.75 ₺86.6
57.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.77
$0.56 ₺27.57
255.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.45 €3.96
$4.71 ₺233
-5.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €4.10
$6.14 ₺304
-24.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.24 ₺61.6
16.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.98 €1.76
$0.95 ₺47.25
108.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.04 €3.60
$2.28 ₺113
77.19%
Eggs
$4.09 €3.63
$2.45 ₺121
66.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.79 €13.15
$10.56 ₺523
40.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 €9.28
$5.50 ₺272
89.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.91 €21.27
$21.65 ₺1,072
10.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.28 €2.92
$1.83 ₺90.6
79.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.29 ₺113
-9.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$1.28 ₺63.4
66.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 €3.64
$1.82 ₺90.1
124.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$0.66 ₺32.74
74.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$0.63 ₺31.14
74.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.27 ₺62.8
21.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$0.56 ₺27.62
116.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.79 €8.71
$2.36 ₺117
314.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.50 €4.89
$12.98 ₺642
-57.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$2.48 ₺123
-54.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.33
$3.50 ₺174
-57.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.52 €3.13
$0.82 ₺40.77
329.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 €47.96
$65.2 ₺3,228
-17.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.04 €3.59
$1.33 ₺65.7
203.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.90 ₺44.60
152.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.49 €24.45
$10.91 ₺540
151.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.43 ₺70.7
50.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$49.6K ₺2.5M
-32.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.5K
$43.2K ₺2.1M
-10.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$265 €236
$88.8 ₺4,395
198.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.79 €30.06
$11.69 ₺579
189.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 €45.58
$16.09 ₺797
218.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.84 €34.55
$76.3 ₺3,776
-49.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.08 €22.31
$22.72 ₺1,125
10.39%
Cinema Ticket
$13.38 €11.90
$8.26 ₺409
61.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$352 €313
$1,015 ₺50.2K
-65.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,573 €8,515
$25.8K ₺1.3M
-62.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.94 €39.97
$53.3 ₺2,636
-15.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.2 €50.0
$40.55 ₺2,008
38.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.8 €71.0
$100 ₺4,956
-20.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 €133
$93.5 ₺4,630
60.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 €710
$977 ₺48.4K
-18.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 €592
$627 ₺31.0K
6.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €998
$1,980 ₺98.0K
-43.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,134 €1,009
$1,147 ₺56.8K
-1.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,942 €4,396
$3,095 ₺153.2K
59.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,353 €2,983
$1,787 ₺88.5K
87.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Neu-Ulm
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,612 €3,213
$1,213 ₺60.1K
197.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
40.69
-90.29%

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

Last update for Neu-Ulm: October 17, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Neu-Ulm
$666
Istanbul
$627 5.9% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neu-Ulm
$350
Istanbul
$117 66.7% $233
Groceries & Markets
Neu-Ulm
$339
Istanbul
$263 22.5% $76
Eating Out
Neu-Ulm
$269
Istanbul
$222 17.5% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Neu-Ulm
$149
Istanbul
$129 13.2% $20
Getting Around
Neu-Ulm
$83
Istanbul
$74 10.9% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Neu-Ulm
$66
Istanbul
$93 41.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Neu-Ulm versus $977 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 198% higher in Neu-Ulm, 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 $68.0 in Neu-Ulm versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $263 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Neu-Ulm
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
20:49 8:49 PM
21:49 9:49 PM
1 h ahead of Neu-Ulm
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
62,610
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Neu-Ulm Istanbul 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Neu-Ulm
  • 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
Neu-Ulm vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Neu-Ulm?
Yes – Neu-Ulm is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Neu-Ulm and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $352 per month in Neu-Ulm and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Neu-Ulm and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Neu-Ulm, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Neu-Ulm or in Istanbul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Neu-Ulm at $1,922. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Neu-Ulm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Neu-Ulm or Istanbul more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Neu-Ulm or Istanbul?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Neu-Ulm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Neu-Ulm vs other spots: cost of living compared

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