Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saku and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Saku: $1,108 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Saku
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Saku Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Saku

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,108

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,108 per month in Saku vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saku $1,108
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,724 per month in Saku vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saku $1,724
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,339 per month in Saku vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saku $2,339
Istanbul $3,212

Saku is about 27% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Saku sits 18% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.43 €14.64

$11.81 ₺591

39.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 €62.7

$54.9 ₺2,748

28.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 €10.00

$9.26 ₺463

21.27%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$4.30 ₺215

-3.72%

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

$2.25 €2.00

$1.77 ₺88.8

27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.06

$0.56 ₺28.26

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 €5.93

$4.69 ₺234

42.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 €5.80

$7.12 ₺356

-8.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.25 ₺62.6

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.23

$0.88 ₺44.07

57.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.20 ₺110

8.18%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.58

$2.43 ₺122

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 €9.84

$10.48 ₺524

5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 €7.49

$5.31 ₺266

58.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 €13.04

$21.10 ₺1,056

-30.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.86 ₺92.9

15.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.30 ₺115

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.22 ₺60.8

104.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.69

$1.80 ₺90.0

67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.69 ₺34.75

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.64 ₺32.09

26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.36 ₺67.8

36.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.58 ₺28.88

74.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €6.16

$2.34 ₺117

195.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 €9.10

$13.03 ₺652

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.36 ₺118

-19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.32 ₺166

-37.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.27

$1.28 ₺64.3

186.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

$0.85 ₺42.70

21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.04 €23.20

$11.09 ₺555

134.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.48 ₺73.9

36.49%

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

$28.2K €25.1K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-42.01%

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

$29.3K €26.1K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-30.26%

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

$312 €278

$92.7 ₺4,639

236.30%

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

$17.17 €15.30

$11.20 ₺560

53.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.62 €29.06

$15.89 ₺795

105.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €10.37

$8.05 ₺403

44.72%

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

$469 €418

$948 ₺47.5K

-50.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €9,071

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-72.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.4

$53.9 ₺2,696

88.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.12 €42.87

$41.49 ₺2,076

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.2

$101 ₺5,049

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$91.3 ₺4,570

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,012 €3,574

$2,988 ₺149.5K

34.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,648 €2,359

$1,730 ₺86.6K

53.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,764 €1,571

$1,136 ₺56.9K

55.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

40.42

-91.49%

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

Last update for Saku: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saku

$362 32.6%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 66.9% $242

Eating Out

Saku

$279 25.2%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 20.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Saku

$267 24.1%

Istanbul

$258 17% 3.1% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Saku

$168 15.2%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 23.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Saku

$23 * 2.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 290% $67

Getting Around

Saku

$8.8 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$75 5% 751% $66

Accommodation & Living

Saku

- * 0%

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 55% higher in Saku, 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 $70 in Saku versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Saku

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

1 h ahead of Saku

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,548

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saku Istanbul 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Saku
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

Saku vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,662 per month in Saku and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Saku and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saku, where all-in costs run around $1,108, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Saku it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,108 in Saku to $1,519 in Istanbul. 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.