Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,982 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
Learn more

Rome Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,982

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Rome vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rome $1,982
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,148 per month in Rome vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rome $3,148
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,314 per month in Rome vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rome $4,314
Istanbul $3,272

Rome costs about 30% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rome and Istanbul sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.05

$11.88 ₺585

42.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.2

$55.1 ₺2,715

22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.84

$9.14 ₺450

20.79%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$4.24 ₺209

-51.65%

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

$3.05 €2.72

$1.75 ₺86.0

74.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.54 ₺26.84

181.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.11

$4.69 ₺231

22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.12

$5.97 ₺294

14.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.26 ₺62.1

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.00

$0.95 ₺46.82

136.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$2.31 ₺114

34.20%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.29

$2.47 ₺122

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

$10.55 ₺520

43.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €11.18

$5.60 ₺276

123.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.67

$21.21 ₺1,045

-6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.37

$1.93 ₺95.1

37.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.29 ₺113

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.28 ₺63.1

91.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.84 ₺90.8

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.28

$0.67 ₺32.87

113.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.59 ₺29.31

159.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.33 ₺65.4

1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.47

$0.59 ₺29.11

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.40 €6.60

$2.36 ₺116

213.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.86

$13.47 ₺664

-59.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.42 ₺119

-32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$3.54 ₺174

-25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.83 ₺40.65

108.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.99 €35.66

$66.5 ₺3,274

-39.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 €6.16

$1.35 ₺66.6

411.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.85 ₺42.06

91.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 €30.48

$10.86 ₺535

214.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.47 ₺72.3

45.58%

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-31.95%

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-22.59%

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

$209 €186

$89.2 ₺4,396

133.76%

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

$11.57 €10.31

$11.60 ₺572

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 €28.42

$16.10 ₺793

98.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €58.6

$77.3 ₺3,806

-14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.73 €21.15

$22.66 ₺1,116

4.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 €9.98

$8.34 ₺411

34.29%

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

$483 €431

$974 ₺48.0K

-50.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 €63.0

$52.7 ₺2,597

34.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 €31.81

$39.16 ₺1,930

-8.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €73.3

$103 ₺5,084

-20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$96.6 ₺4,760

27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,074

$994 ₺49.0K

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 €795

$629 ₺31.0K

41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 €2,253

$2,024 ₺99.7K

24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 €1,504

$1,155 ₺56.9K

46.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,407 €7,495

$3,160 ₺155.7K

166.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 €2,760

$1,838 ₺90.5K

68.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,766

$1,203 ₺59.3K

64.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

41.09

-91.43%

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

Last update for Rome: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$892 44.2%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 29.5% $263

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$331 16.4%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 20.2% $67

Eating Out

Rome

$253 12.6%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 14% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$252 12.5%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 53.6% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$140 7%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 6.4% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 6.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Rome

$62 3.1%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 21.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Rome 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 65% higher in Rome, 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 $68.0 in Rome versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

13:14 1:14 PM

1 h ahead of Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

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

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rome Istanbul 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
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

Rome vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,974 per month in Rome 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 $483 per month in Rome 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 25% more in Rome, 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 Rome at $1,982. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome 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, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.