Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,352 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,352

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,352 per month in Rethymno vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rethymno $1,352
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,025 per month in Rethymno vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rethymno $2,025
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,698 per month in Rethymno vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rethymno $2,698
Istanbul $3,212

Rethymno is about 11% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.72 €11.33

$11.81 ₺592

7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 €49.53

$54.9 ₺2,754

1.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 €8.93

$9.26 ₺465

8.32%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.23

$4.30 ₺216

-15.58%

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

$1.65 €1.47

$1.77 ₺89.0

-6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.51

$0.56 ₺28.32

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.88

$4.69 ₺235

-7.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 €4.83

$7.12 ₺357

-23.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.25 ₺62.7

21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.88 ₺44.17

43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.20 ₺111

-0.45%

Eggs

$4.52 €4.02

$2.43 ₺122

86.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.78 €13.16

$10.48 ₺526

41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 €8.21

$5.31 ₺267

73.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 €13.41

$21.10 ₺1,058

-28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.86 ₺93.1

13.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.30 ₺115

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.22 ₺61.0

-0.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.80 ₺90.2

-5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.84

$0.69 ₺34.83

36.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.64 ₺32.16

57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.36 ₺68.0

-52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$0.58 ₺28.94

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 €3.89

$2.34 ₺117

86.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €6.06

$13.03 ₺653

-47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.36 ₺118

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.70

$3.32 ₺166

-42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.88 ₺44.07

109.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €4.00

$1.28 ₺64.4

250.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.85 ₺42.80

21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 €20.02

$11.09 ₺556

102.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.48 ₺74.0

50.68%

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

$21.9K €19.5K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-54.91%

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

$24.5K €21.8K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-41.60%

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

$195 €174

$92.7 ₺4,650

110.86%

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

$18.42 €16.40

$11.20 ₺562

64.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 €27.10

$15.89 ₺797

91.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.3 €55.4

$74.7 ₺3,745

-16.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.42 €7.50

$8.05 ₺404

4.60%

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

$363 €324

$948 ₺47.6K

-61.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,363 €1,214

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-96.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 €79.8

$53.9 ₺2,702

66.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.41 €10.16

$41.49 ₺2,081

-72.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.26 €39.41

$101 ₺5,060

-56.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.51 €40.53

$91.3 ₺4,580

-50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 €500

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-44.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 €392

$625 ₺31.3K

-29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €815

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-54.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €624

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-37.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,180 €3,722

$2,988 ₺149.8K

39.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,936 €2,614

$1,730 ₺86.8K

69.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,196 €1,065

$1,136 ₺57.0K

5.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

40.42

-89.36%

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

Last update for Rethymno: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rethymno

$440 32.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 41.9% $184

Groceries & Markets

Rethymno

$269 19.9%

Istanbul

$258 17% 3.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rethymno

$244 18.1%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 51% $125

Eating Out

Rethymno

$217 16.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 1.8% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Rethymno

$86 6.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 50.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rethymno

$79 5.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 14.8% $12

Getting Around

Rethymno

$17 * 1.3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 342% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $561 in Rethymno versus $1,014 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 5% higher in Rethymno, 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 $56 in Rethymno versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

1 h ahead of Rethymno

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,763

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rethymno Istanbul 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rethymno
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

Rethymno vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,028 per month in Rethymno and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rethymno, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $561 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $363 per month in Rethymno and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rethymno, where all-in costs run around $1,352, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Rethymno it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rethymno – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.