Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostia and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,756 in Ostia, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Ostia
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Ostia Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Ostia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,756

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,756 per month in Ostia vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ostia $1,756
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,594 per month in Ostia vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ostia $2,594
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Ostia vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Ostia $3,432
Istanbul $3,281

Ostia costs about 13% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ostia and Istanbul sit above the global median – Ostia by 30%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.51 €14.69

$12.30 ₺609

34.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.7

$54.7 ₺2,708

20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.10

$9.22 ₺456

23.21%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.00

$4.40 ₺218

-48.86%

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

$2.33 €2.07

$1.68 ₺83.1

38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.59 ₺29.40

103.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.86

$4.70 ₺233

16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.27

$5.91 ₺292

-18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.21 ₺60.0

38.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.89 ₺44.10

142.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.19 ₺108

36.99%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.04

$2.35 ₺116

93.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 €13.27

$10.42 ₺516

43.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 €11.11

$5.65 ₺280

121.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 €17.44

$20.94 ₺1,037

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$1.90 ₺94.1

36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.31 ₺114

-10.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.28 ₺63.1

82.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.80 ₺89.0

32.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.65 ₺32.16

121.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$0.64 ₺31.91

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.25 ₺62.1

5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.56 ₺27.58

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.90

$2.37 ₺118

179.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 €4.82

$13.42 ₺664

-59.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.40 ₺119

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.22

$3.48 ₺172

-28.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.89 ₺43.84

85.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.01 €34.70

$67.4 ₺3,338

-42.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.93

$1.29 ₺64.1

242.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.92 ₺45.70

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.16 €20.60

$10.96 ₺542

111.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.47 ₺72.9

46.26%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-30.54%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-20.47%

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

$197 €175

$88.6 ₺4,387

121.90%

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

$9.61 €8.55

$11.59 ₺574

-17.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.13 €27.69

$15.81 ₺783

96.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 €49.93

$77.2 ₺3,820

-27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 €9.96

$22.74 ₺1,126

-50.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 €9.85

$8.14 ₺403

36.00%

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

$449 €400

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-55.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,805 €7,832

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-65.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 €64.2

$54.0 ₺2,671

33.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.65 €32.60

$40.83 ₺2,021

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €75.2

$98.9 ₺4,895

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$96.6 ₺4,783

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$985 ₺48.7K

-13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 €599

$650 ₺32.2K

3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 €1,005

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 €881

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-16.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,992 €1,772

$1,205 ₺59.7K

65.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

40.92

-91.45%

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

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ostia

$673 38.3%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 3.5% $23

Groceries & Markets

Ostia

$324 18.4%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 19.8% $64

Eating Out

Ostia

$244 13.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 8.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ostia

$237 13.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 51.1% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Ostia

$143 8.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 8.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ostia

$78 4.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 19.4% $15

Getting Around

Ostia

$56 3.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 36.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Ostia 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 65% higher in Ostia, 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 $66.0 in Ostia versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Ostia

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

1 h ahead of Ostia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,400

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

Ostia Istanbul 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Ostia
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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

Ostia vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ostia is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,634 per month in Ostia 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 $449 per month in Ostia 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 25% more in Ostia, 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 Ostia at $1,756. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostia 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, Ostia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.