Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar: $1,444 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Roquetas de Mar
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Roquetas de Mar Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Roquetas de Mar

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,444

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,444 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $1,444
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $2,082
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $2,720
Istanbul $3,281

Roquetas de Mar is about 7% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Roquetas de Mar and Istanbul sit above the global median – Roquetas de Mar by 7%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 €14.80

$12.30 ₺609

35.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 €49.40

$54.7 ₺2,708

1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 €9.47

$9.22 ₺456

15.51%

Cappuccino

$2.06 €1.83

$4.40 ₺218

-53.18%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.68 ₺83.1

64.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.59 ₺29.40

186.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 €3.77

$4.70 ₺233

-9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$5.91 ₺292

-26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.21 ₺60.0

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.46

$0.89 ₺44.10

85.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$2.19 ₺108

-16.44%

Eggs

$3.47 €3.09

$2.35 ₺116

47.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.93 €14.17

$10.42 ₺516

52.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 €8.02

$5.65 ₺280

59.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 €11.68

$20.94 ₺1,037

-37.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.90 ₺94.1

38.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.31 ₺114

-18.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.28 ₺63.1

17.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.80 ₺89.0

27.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.65 ₺32.16

186.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$0.64 ₺31.91

195.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.25 ₺62.1

8.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$0.56 ₺27.58

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.41

$2.37 ₺118

156.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$13.42 ₺664

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$2.40 ₺119

-52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.48 ₺172

-51.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 €0.86

$0.89 ₺43.84

8.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.43 €29.73

$67.4 ₺3,338

-50.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 €7.02

$1.29 ₺64.1

511.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €1.99

$0.92 ₺45.70

143.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.83 €15.86

$10.96 ₺542

62.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.47 ₺72.9

23.81%

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

$35.2K €31.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-30.60%

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

$29.0K €25.8K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-34.89%

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

$135 €121

$88.6 ₺4,387

52.88%

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

$16.03 €14.26

$11.59 ₺574

38.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.01 €24.03

$15.81 ₺783

70.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 €31.66

$77.2 ₺3,820

-53.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 €7.31

$8.14 ₺403

0.98%

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

$383 €341

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,514

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-58.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 €64.5

$54.0 ₺2,671

34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.56 €31.63

$40.83 ₺2,021

-12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 €86.0

$98.9 ₺4,895

-2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$96.6 ₺4,783

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 €505

$985 ₺48.7K

-42.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 €450

$650 ₺32.2K

-22.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 €684

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-61.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 €525

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-50.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 €1,805

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-35.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,643 €1,461

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,266 €1,127

$1,205 ₺59.7K

5.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

40.92

-92.23%

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

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roquetas de Mar

$506 35.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 28.4% $144

Groceries & Markets

Roquetas de Mar

$268 18.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 3.1% $8.2

Eating Out

Roquetas de Mar

$238 16.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roquetas de Mar

$179 12.4%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 35% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Roquetas de Mar

$146 10.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 10.2% $15

Getting Around

Roquetas de Mar

$56 3.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 36.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Roquetas de Mar

$52 3.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 79.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Roquetas de Mar 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 5% higher in Roquetas de Mar, 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 $56.0 in Roquetas de Mar versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Roquetas de Mar

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

1 h ahead of Roquetas de Mar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,510

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

Roquetas de Mar Istanbul 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Roquetas de Mar
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

Roquetas de Mar vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,166 per month in Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Roquetas de Mar and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Roquetas de Mar, where all-in costs run around $1,444, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Roquetas de Mar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roquetas de Mar – 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 Roquetas de Mar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.