Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisa and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,242 in Pisa, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Pisa
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Pisa Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Pisa

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,242

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Pisa vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pisa $2,242
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,415 per month in Pisa vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pisa $3,415
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,588 per month in Pisa vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pisa $4,588
Istanbul $3,272

Pisa costs about 47% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pisa and Istanbul sit above the global median – Pisa by 67%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 €17.71

$11.88 ₺585

67.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €71.5

$55.1 ₺2,714

45.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$9.14 ₺450

24.95%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.80

$4.24 ₺209

-52.36%

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

$3.45 €3.08

$1.75 ₺86.0

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$0.54 ₺26.83

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 €5.92

$4.69 ₺231

41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$5.97 ₺294

-23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.26 ₺62.1

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

$0.95 ₺46.81

121.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.86

$2.31 ₺114

38.53%

Eggs

$5.42 €4.84

$2.47 ₺122

119.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 €24.56

$10.55 ₺520

160.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 €14.53

$5.60 ₺276

190.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.99 €22.30

$21.21 ₺1,045

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.63

$1.93 ₺95.1

52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.29 ₺113

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$1.28 ₺63.1

159.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.99

$1.84 ₺90.8

82.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.67 ₺32.86

361.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.59 ₺29.31

250.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.33 ₺65.4

35.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.74

$0.59 ₺29.10

38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.04 €7.18

$2.36 ₺116

240.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.36

$13.47 ₺664

-38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.42 ₺119

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 €3.68

$3.54 ₺174

16.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.83 ₺40.64

171.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.19 €39.43

$66.5 ₺3,273

-33.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.86

$1.35 ₺66.6

302.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$0.85 ₺42.05

165.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.97 €10.68

$10.86 ₺535

10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.47 ₺72.3

44.22%

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

$36.1K €32.2K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-30.03%

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

$36.1K €32.2K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-18.87%

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

$340 €303

$89.2 ₺4,395

280.99%

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

$12.29 €10.97

$11.60 ₺572

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.86 €37.36

$16.10 ₺793

160.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.41 €43.20

$77.3 ₺3,805

-37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.56 €21.92

$22.66 ₺1,116

8.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.67 €9.53

$8.34 ₺411

27.94%

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

$635 €567

$974 ₺48.0K

-34.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,730 €7,791

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-66.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$52.7 ₺2,597

93.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 €67.0

$39.16 ₺1,929

91.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 €77.2

$103 ₺5,083

-16.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 €176

$96.6 ₺4,759

103.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 €925

$994 ₺49.0K

4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €722

$629 ₺31.0K

28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,531

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-15.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,178

$1,155 ₺56.9K

14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,432 €3,063

$3,160 ₺155.7K

8.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,874 €2,565

$1,838 ₺90.5K

56.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 €1,535

$1,203 ₺59.3K

42.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

41.09

-91.00%

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

Last update for Pisa: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pisa

$809 35.7%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 22.2% $180

Groceries & Markets

Pisa

$438 19.3%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 39.7% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pisa

$394 17.4%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 70.3% $277

Eating Out

Pisa

$279 12.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 22% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Pisa

$207 9.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 36.6% $76

Getting Around

Pisa

$70 3.1%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 7.8% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Pisa

$70 3.1%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 34.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,036 in Pisa 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 43% higher in Pisa, 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 $80.0 in Pisa versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Pisa

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

1 h ahead of Pisa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,888

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

Pisa Istanbul 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pisa
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

Pisa vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pisa is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,362 per month in Pisa 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 $635 per month in Pisa 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 66% more in Pisa, 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 Pisa at $2,242. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pisa 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, Pisa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.