Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oberhausen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,996 in Oberhausen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Oberhausen
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Oberhausen Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Oberhausen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,996

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,996 per month in Oberhausen vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oberhausen $1,996
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Oberhausen vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oberhausen $2,847
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,698 per month in Oberhausen vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Oberhausen $3,698
Istanbul $3,281

Oberhausen costs about 29% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oberhausen and Istanbul sit above the global median – Oberhausen by 48%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 €15.01

$12.30 ₺609

36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 €75.8

$54.7 ₺2,708

55.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 €11.78

$9.22 ₺456

43.28%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.62

$4.40 ₺218

-7.73%

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

$3.18 €2.83

$1.68 ₺83.1

89.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.77

$0.59 ₺29.40

427.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.06

$4.70 ₺233

20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €5.04

$5.91 ₺293

-4.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.21 ₺60.0

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.92

$0.89 ₺44.10

141.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 €2.87

$2.19 ₺108

47.03%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.23

$2.35 ₺116

54.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 €12.02

$10.42 ₺516

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 €10.56

$5.65 ₺280

109.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 €20.55

$20.94 ₺1,037

10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.59

$1.90 ₺94.1

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.31 ₺114

-10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.28 ₺63.2

75.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 €3.50

$1.80 ₺89.0

118.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.65 ₺32.17

110.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.64 ₺31.92

95.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.25 ₺62.1

20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.56 ₺27.59

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 €8.70

$2.37 ₺118

311.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.09

$13.42 ₺664

-57.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$2.40 ₺119

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$3.48 ₺172

-50.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.04

$0.89 ₺43.84

283.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.20 €43.86

$67.4 ₺3,339

-27.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 €4.43

$1.29 ₺64.1

285.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 €2.60

$0.92 ₺45.70

216.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.73 €30.08

$10.96 ₺543

207.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.47 ₺72.9

53.06%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-34.31%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-14.03%

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

$383 €342

$88.6 ₺4,388

332.40%

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

$12.23 €10.91

$11.59 ₺574

5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.34 €32.40

$15.81 ₺783

129.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 €34.95

$77.2 ₺3,821

-49.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.56 €26.36

$22.74 ₺1,126

29.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.67

$8.14 ₺403

88.33%

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

$473 €422

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-53.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,247 €8,245

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-63.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

$54.0 ₺2,671

68.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 €37.09

$40.83 ₺2,021

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.9

$98.9 ₺4,896

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$96.6 ₺4,783

45.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 €536

$985 ₺48.7K

-38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €557

$650 ₺32.2K

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 €667

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-62.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 €672

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-36.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,307 €4,732

$3,138 ₺155.4K

69.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,410 €3,041

$1,780 ₺88.1K

91.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 €3,030

$1,205 ₺59.7K

181.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

40.92

-90.35%

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

Last update for Oberhausen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oberhausen

$625 31.3%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oberhausen

$432 21.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 73.1% $316

Groceries & Markets

Oberhausen

$332 16.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 21.8% $72

Eating Out

Oberhausen

$288 14.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 22.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Oberhausen

$167 8.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 22% $37

Getting Around

Oberhausen

$82 4.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 6.7% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Oberhausen

$70 3.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 33.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $601 in Oberhausen 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 182% higher in Oberhausen, 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 $85.0 in Oberhausen versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Oberhausen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

1 h ahead of Oberhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

209,292

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

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Between locations

Oberhausen Istanbul 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Oberhausen
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

Oberhausen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oberhausen is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,994 per month in Oberhausen 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $473 per month in Oberhausen and $1,008 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 Oberhausen, 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 $1,550, than in Oberhausen at $1,996. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oberhausen 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, Oberhausen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.