Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,825 in Nicosia, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nicosia
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Nicosia Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Nicosia

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$1,825

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,825 per month in Nicosia vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nicosia $1,825
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,845 per month in Nicosia vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nicosia $2,845
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,864 per month in Nicosia vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nicosia $3,864
Istanbul $3,212

Nicosia costs about 20% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nicosia and Istanbul sit above the global median – Nicosia by 35%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.78

$11.81 ₺592

40.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.0

$54.9 ₺2,754

22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 €7.93

$9.26 ₺465

-3.89%

Cappuccino

$3.73 €3.32

$4.30 ₺216

-13.26%

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

$2.34 €2.08

$1.77 ₺89.0

32.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$0.56 ₺28.32

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 €3.93

$4.69 ₺235

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$7.12 ₺357

-21.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.25 ₺62.7

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.72

$0.88 ₺44.17

119.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$2.20 ₺111

24.55%

Eggs

$4.63 €4.12

$2.43 ₺122

90.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.20

$10.48 ₺526

20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 €7.82

$5.31 ₺267

65.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 €11.50

$21.10 ₺1,058

-38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$1.86 ₺93.1

87.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.30 ₺115

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.29

$1.22 ₺61.0

111.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.13

$1.80 ₺90.2

95.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$0.69 ₺34.83

173.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.64 ₺32.16

120.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.36 ₺68.0

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.06

$0.58 ₺28.94

105.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 €5.06

$2.34 ₺117

142.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €7.05

$13.03 ₺653

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.36 ₺118

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.32 ₺166

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 €2.38

$0.88 ₺44.07

203.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.85 €39.93

$66.1 ₺3,316

-32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €5.07

$1.28 ₺64.4

345.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 €1.71

$0.85 ₺42.80

125.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.83 €39.91

$11.09 ₺556

304.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.48 ₺74.0

19.59%

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

$31.4K €27.9K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-35.54%

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

$32.7K €29.1K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-22.18%

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

$210 €187

$92.7 ₺4,650

126.58%

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

$20.04 €17.84

$11.20 ₺562

78.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.85 €30.14

$15.89 ₺797

113.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 €64.4

$74.7 ₺3,745

-3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 €16.79

$22.95 ₺1,151

-17.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 €10.02

$8.05 ₺404

39.75%

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

$523 €466

$948 ₺47.6K

-44.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €9,277

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-71.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.8

$53.9 ₺2,702

87.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 €48.60

$41.49 ₺2,081

31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.5

$101 ₺5,060

0.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €103

$91.3 ₺4,580

26.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 €691

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 €601

$625 ₺31.3K

8.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,490

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 €1,156

$1,126 ₺56.5K

15.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,152 €2,806

$2,988 ₺149.8K

5.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 €2,070

$1,730 ₺86.8K

34.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,845 €1,642

$1,136 ₺57.0K

62.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

40.42

-88.92%

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

Last update for Nicosia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nicosia

$675 37%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 7.5% $51

Groceries & Markets

Nicosia

$302 16.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 14.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nicosia

$264 14.5%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 54.6% $144

Eating Out

Nicosia

$251 13.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 11.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nicosia

$168 9.2%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 22.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nicosia

$95 5.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 4.3% $4.1

Getting Around

Nicosia

$71 3.9%

Istanbul

$75 5% 6.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Nicosia versus $1,014 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 Nicosia. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Nicosia versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇾 Nicosia

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

1 h ahead of Nicosia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,355 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Nicosia Istanbul 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nicosia
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

Nicosia vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nicosia is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,737 per month in Nicosia and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nicosia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $776 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $523 per month in Nicosia and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Nicosia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,825 in Nicosia and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,825 in Nicosia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nicosia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.