Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Novara: $1,475 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

72

Cost of Living Index in Novara
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Novara Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Novara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,475

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,475 per month in Novara vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Novara $1,475
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Novara vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Novara $2,279
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,083 per month in Novara vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Novara $3,083
Istanbul $3,281

Novara is about 5% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Novara and Istanbul sit above the global median – Novara by 9%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.73

$12.30 ₺609

34.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 €49.09

$54.7 ₺2,708

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 €9.11

$9.22 ₺456

11.06%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.56

$4.40 ₺218

-60.23%

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

$3.32 €2.95

$1.68 ₺83.1

97.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$0.59 ₺29.40

177.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €5.09

$4.70 ₺233

21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.60

$5.91 ₺292

-12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.21 ₺60.0

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.74

$0.89 ₺44.10

119.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.19 ₺108

31.05%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.84

$2.35 ₺116

35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 €9.87

$10.42 ₺516

6.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 €7.89

$5.65 ₺280

56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 €11.95

$20.94 ₺1,037

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.90 ₺94.1

30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.31 ₺114

-26.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$1.28 ₺63.1

155.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.80 ₺89.0

18.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.65 ₺32.16

203.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.64 ₺31.91

67.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.25 ₺62.1

-18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$0.56 ₺27.58

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 €5.51

$2.37 ₺118

161.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 €5.07

$13.42 ₺664

-57.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.40 ₺119

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.99

$3.48 ₺172

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

$0.89 ₺43.84

86.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.99 €33.79

$67.4 ₺3,338

-43.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.94

$1.29 ₺64.1

243.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.92 ₺45.70

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.60 €30.78

$10.96 ₺542

215.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.47 ₺72.9

37.41%

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

$27.6K €24.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-45.72%

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

$32.5K €28.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.11%

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

$176 €156

$88.6 ₺4,387

98.08%

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

$10.37 €9.23

$11.59 ₺574

-10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 €26.47

$15.81 ₺783

88.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 €69.3

$77.2 ₺3,820

1.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.88 €16.79

$22.74 ₺1,126

-16.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.12

$8.14 ₺403

39.80%

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

$500 €445

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-50.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,957 €8,856

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 €112

$54.0 ₺2,671

132.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.17 €29.51

$40.83 ₺2,021

-18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 €49.61

$98.9 ₺4,895

-43.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €126

$96.6 ₺4,783

46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 €568

$985 ₺48.7K

-35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 €385

$650 ₺32.2K

-33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 €945

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-46.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 €691

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-34.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,806 €2,496

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-10.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,923 €1,711

$1,780 ₺88.1K

8.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 €1,859

$1,205 ₺59.7K

73.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

40.92

-91.15%

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

Last update for Novara: 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

Novara

$433 29.3%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 50.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Novara

$268 18.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 3.1% $8.3

Eating Out

Novara

$243 16.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 8.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novara

$216 14.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 46.2% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Novara

$160 10.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 18.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Novara

$101 6.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 7.2% $7.3

Getting Around

Novara

$55 3.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 39.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Novara 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 73% higher in Novara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Novara versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Novara vs $260 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Novara

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h ahead of Novara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,910

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

On the map

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Between locations

Novara Istanbul 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Novara
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

Novara vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,213 per month in Novara 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 Novara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $500 per month in Novara and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Novara, where all-in costs run around $1,475, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Novara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novara – 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 Novara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.