Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Purmerend and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,471 in Purmerend, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Purmerend
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Purmerend Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Purmerend

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,471

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,471 per month in Purmerend vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Purmerend $2,471
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,573 per month in Purmerend vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Purmerend $3,573
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,675 per month in Purmerend vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Purmerend $4,675
Istanbul $3,281

Purmerend costs about 59% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Purmerend and Istanbul sit above the global median – Purmerend by 83%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €15.17

$12.30 ₺609

38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.51 €44.04

$54.7 ₺2,708

-9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €11.32

$9.22 ₺456

38.07%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.67

$4.40 ₺218

-6.14%

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

$3.71 €3.30

$1.68 ₺83.1

120.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.28

$0.59 ₺29.40

333.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 €5.37

$4.70 ₺233

28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.91 ₺292

-6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.21 ₺60.0

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.89 ₺44.10

156.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.19 ₺108

15.53%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.17

$2.35 ₺116

99.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 €12.14

$10.42 ₺516

31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 €12.22

$5.65 ₺280

143.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 €14.93

$20.94 ₺1,037

-19.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.90 ₺94.1

37.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.31 ₺114

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.28 ₺63.1

51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 €3.83

$1.80 ₺89.0

138.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$0.65 ₺32.16

190.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.64 ₺31.91

196.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.25 ₺62.1

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.56 ₺27.58

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.24 €11.78

$2.37 ₺118

458.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$13.42 ₺664

-46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.40 ₺119

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.28

$3.48 ₺172

-26.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.91

$0.89 ₺43.84

267.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 €73.3

$67.4 ₺3,338

22.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.81

$1.29 ₺64.1

232.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 €2.19

$0.92 ₺45.70

167.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 €25.88

$10.96 ₺542

165.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.47 ₺72.9

61.90%

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

$35.9K €32.0K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-29.27%

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

$43.4K €38.6K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-2.43%

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

$268 €239

$88.6 ₺4,387

202.97%

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

$22.85 €20.33

$11.59 ₺574

97.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 €44.90

$15.81 ₺783

219.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 €36.00

$77.2 ₺3,820

-47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.51 €19.14

$22.74 ₺1,126

-5.41%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 €13.52

$8.14 ₺403

86.73%

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

$1,981 €1,762

$1,008 ₺49.9K

96.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,842 €6,976

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-69.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €82.7

$54.0 ₺2,671

72.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 €37.72

$40.83 ₺2,021

3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.0

$98.9 ₺4,895

4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €122

$96.6 ₺4,783

42.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,231

$985 ₺48.7K

40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 €1,025

$650 ₺32.2K

77.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 €2,162

$1,983 ₺98.2K

22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 €1,711

$1,180 ₺58.4K

63.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,380 €4,786

$3,138 ₺155.4K

71.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,306 €3,830

$1,780 ₺88.1K

141.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,943 €3,507

$1,205 ₺59.7K

227.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.03

40.92

-90.15%

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

Last update for Purmerend: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Purmerend

$1.2K 46.6%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 43.6% $503

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Purmerend

$342 13.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 66.1% $226

Groceries & Markets

Purmerend

$334 13.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 22.2% $74

Eating Out

Purmerend

$291 11.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 23.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Purmerend

$169 6.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 22.9% $39

Getting Around

Purmerend

$112 4.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 31.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Purmerend

$71 2.9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 31.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,384 in Purmerend 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 227% higher in Purmerend, 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 $50.0 in Purmerend versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Purmerend vs $260 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Purmerend

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

1 h ahead of Purmerend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,915

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

Purmerend Istanbul 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Purmerend
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

Purmerend vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Purmerend is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,707 per month in Purmerend 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 $1,981 per month in Purmerend 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 29% more in Purmerend, 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 Purmerend at $2,471. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Purmerend 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, Purmerend makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.