Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,735 in Rhodes, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Rhodes despite lower rent and utilities.

83

Cost of Living Index in Rhodes
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Rhodes Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Rhodes

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,735

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,735 per month in Rhodes vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rhodes $1,735
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,697 per month in Rhodes vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rhodes $2,697
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,659 per month in Rhodes vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rhodes $3,659
Istanbul $3,212

Rhodes costs about 14% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rhodes and Istanbul sit above the global median – Rhodes by 28%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 €16.48

$11.81 ₺592

55.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.6

$54.9 ₺2,754

23.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 €8.53

$9.26 ₺465

3.02%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.88

$4.30 ₺216

0.70%

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

$2.42 €2.17

$1.77 ₺89.0

36.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.56 ₺28.32

66.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 €4.83

$4.69 ₺235

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.45

$7.12 ₺357

-45.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.25 ₺62.7

76.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 €1.64

$0.88 ₺44.17

107.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 €4.45

$2.20 ₺111

125.91%

Eggs

$6.17 €5.52

$2.43 ₺122

153.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.43 €14.70

$10.48 ₺526

56.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 €10.00

$5.31 ₺267

110.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €16.49

$21.10 ₺1,058

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.86 ₺93.1

17.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.30 ₺115

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.22 ₺61.0

22.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.80 ₺90.2

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

$0.69 ₺34.83

137.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.65

$0.64 ₺32.16

187.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.36 ₺68.0

-25.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.66

$0.58 ₺28.94

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 €4.75

$2.34 ₺117

126.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €7.11

$13.03 ₺653

-38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.36 ₺118

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$3.32 ₺166

-51.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.23

$0.88 ₺44.07

182.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.0 €66.3

$66.1 ₺3,316

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.95

$1.28 ₺64.4

157.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.85 ₺42.80

69.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.17 €9.99

$11.09 ₺556

0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.48 ₺74.0

52.03%

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

$28.2K €25.2K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-42.01%

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

$26.2K €23.5K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-37.55%

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

$226 €202

$92.7 ₺4,650

143.78%

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

$26.26 €23.49

$11.20 ₺562

134.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 €26.59

$15.89 ₺797

86.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 €54.6

$74.7 ₺3,745

-18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.79 €34.71

$22.95 ₺1,151

69.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €8.09

$8.05 ₺404

12.30%

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

$482 €431

$948 ₺47.6K

-49.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,129 €8,168

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-75.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 €134

$53.9 ₺2,702

177.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 €29.45

$41.49 ₺2,081

-20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €100

$101 ₺5,060

10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 €142

$91.3 ₺4,580

73.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 €510

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 €410

$625 ₺31.3K

-26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €905

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-49.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 €719

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-28.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 €3,325

$2,988 ₺149.8K

24.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 €1,540

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-0.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 €1,190

$1,136 ₺57.0K

17.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

40.42

-88.79%

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

Last update for Rhodes: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rhodes

$458 26.4%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 36.3% $166

Groceries & Markets

Rhodes

$342 19.7%

Istanbul

$258 17% 24.4% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rhodes

$282 16.3%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 57.5% $162

Eating Out

Rhodes

$276 15.9%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 19.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Rhodes

$204 11.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 36.5% $74

Getting Around

Rhodes

$94 5.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 20.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Rhodes

$79 4.6%

Istanbul

$91 6% 14.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $570 in Rhodes 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 17% higher in Rhodes. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rhodes versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rhodes

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h ahead of Rhodes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,128

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

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rhodes Istanbul 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rhodes
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

Rhodes vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rhodes is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,602 per month in Rhodes 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 Rhodes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $570 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $482 per month in Rhodes and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Rhodes, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,735 in Rhodes and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Rhodes has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,735 in Rhodes. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rhodes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.