Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nijmegen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,499 in Nijmegen, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
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Nijmegen Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,499

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Nijmegen vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nijmegen $2,499
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,718 per month in Nijmegen vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nijmegen $3,718
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,937 per month in Nijmegen vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nijmegen $4,937
Istanbul $3,272

Nijmegen costs about 64% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nijmegen and Istanbul sit above the global median – Nijmegen by 87%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 €22.61

$11.88 ₺585

113.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €83.6

$55.1 ₺2,714

70.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.97

$9.14 ₺450

46.72%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.72

$4.24 ₺209

-1.65%

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

$3.95 €3.53

$1.75 ₺86.0

125.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$0.54 ₺26.83

387.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.07

$4.69 ₺231

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €5.07

$5.97 ₺294

-4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.26 ₺62.1

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.77

$0.95 ₺46.81

108.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.31 ₺114

1.73%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.81

$2.47 ₺122

118.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 €11.59

$10.55 ₺520

23.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.59 €13.02

$5.60 ₺276

160.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 €13.84

$21.21 ₺1,045

-26.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$1.93 ₺95.1

43.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.29 ₺113

6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.28 ₺63.1

53.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 €4.84

$1.84 ₺90.8

194.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.67 ₺32.86

201.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$0.59 ₺29.31

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.33 ₺65.4

-3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.59 ₺29.10

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.30 €12.76

$2.36 ₺116

505.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 €6.48

$13.47 ₺664

-46.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.42 ₺119

-38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$3.54 ₺174

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 €3.10

$0.83 ₺40.64

318.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 €127

$66.5 ₺3,273

114.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.68

$1.35 ₺66.6

205.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.76

$0.85 ₺42.05

264.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.09 €39.35

$10.86 ₺535

305.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.47 ₺72.3

59.86%

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

$40.7K €36.4K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-21.10%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-13.40%

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

$282 €252

$89.2 ₺4,395

216.33%

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

$23.08 €20.60

$11.60 ₺572

98.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.32 €36.87

$16.10 ₺793

156.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 €27.09

$77.3 ₺3,805

-60.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.10 €22.40

$22.66 ₺1,116

10.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 €13.85

$8.34 ₺411

86.09%

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

$2,788 €2,488

$974 ₺48.0K

186.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 €87.9

$52.7 ₺2,597

86.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 €39.09

$39.16 ₺1,929

11.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$103 ₺5,083

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €153

$96.6 ₺4,759

77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 €1,338

$994 ₺49.0K

50.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €923

$629 ₺31.0K

64.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 €2,113

$2,024 ₺99.7K

16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,483

$1,155 ₺56.9K

43.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,492 €4,901

$3,160 ₺155.7K

73.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,242 €3,785

$1,838 ₺90.5K

130.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,457 €3,085

$1,203 ₺59.3K

187.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

-90.27%

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

Last update for Nijmegen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nijmegen

$1K 41.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 39.1% $405

Eating Out

Nijmegen

$359 14.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 39.3% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nijmegen

$347 13.8%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 66.3% $230

Groceries & Markets

Nijmegen

$339 13.5%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 22.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nijmegen

$189 7.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 30.4% $57

Getting Around

Nijmegen

$176 7%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 57.1% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Nijmegen

$61 2.5%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 53% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,499 in Nijmegen 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 187% higher in Nijmegen, 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 $94.0 in Nijmegen versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

1 h ahead of Nijmegen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

177,359

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

Nijmegen Istanbul 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nijmegen
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

Nijmegen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nijmegen is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Nijmegen 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 $2,788 per month in Nijmegen 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 28% more in Nijmegen, 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 Nijmegen at $2,499. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nijmegen 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, Nijmegen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.