Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saldus and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Saldus: $1,120 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saldus, Latvia
Istanbul, Turkey
Saldus
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,120
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,120 per month in Saldus vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Saldus $1,120
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,714 per month in Saldus vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Saldus $1,714
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,309 per month in Saldus vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Saldus $2,309
  • Istanbul $3,212

Saldus is about 26% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Saldus sits 17% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.54 €14.73
$11.81 ₺592
40.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 €60.9
$54.9 ₺2,754
24.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.45 €8.42
$9.26 ₺465
2.05%
Cappuccino
$3.76 €3.35
$4.30 ₺216
-12.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.77 ₺89.0
-7.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$0.56 ₺28.32
107.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.68 €5.06
$4.69 ₺235
21.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 €4.61
$7.12 ₺357
-27.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.25 ₺62.7
-6.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 €1.27
$0.88 ₺44.17
62.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 €2.18
$2.20 ₺111
10.91%
Eggs
$3.68 €3.28
$2.43 ₺122
51.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.54 €9.38
$10.48 ₺526
0.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 €7.52
$5.31 ₺267
59.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.64 €12.14
$21.10 ₺1,058
-35.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.86 ₺93.1
14.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.30 ₺115
-24.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.22 ₺61.0
102.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.14 €2.80
$1.80 ₺90.2
74.44%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 €0.78
$0.69 ₺34.83
26.09%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 €0.85
$0.64 ₺32.16
48.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.36 ₺68.0
27.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 €0.81
$0.58 ₺28.94
56.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.78 €6.04
$2.34 ₺117
189.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.03 €7.15
$13.03 ₺653
-38.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.36 ₺118
-16.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$3.32 ₺166
-37.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.88 ₺44.07
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 €3.05
$1.28 ₺64.4
167.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.85 ₺42.80
17.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.57 €15.65
$11.09 ₺556
58.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.48 ₺74.0
35.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K €23.9K
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-44.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K €26.5K
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-29.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$377 €336
$92.7 ₺4,650
306.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.68 €17.52
$11.20 ₺562
75.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.05 €17.85
$15.89 ₺797
26.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$74.7 ₺3,745
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.71 €9.54
$8.05 ₺404
33.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$720 €641
$948 ₺47.6K
-24.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K €16.2K
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-50.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.1 €60.6
$53.9 ₺2,702
26.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6 €45.09
$41.49 ₺2,081
22.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 €75.5
$101 ₺5,060
-15.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 €121
$91.3 ₺4,580
49.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$625 ₺31.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,730 ₺86.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saldus
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
40.42
-88.20%

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

Last update for Saldus: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saldus
$417
Istanbul
$120 71.2% $297
Groceries & Markets
Saldus
$264
Istanbul
$258 2.3% $6.2
Eating Out
Saldus
$256
Istanbul
$221 13.6% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Saldus
$153
Istanbul
$129 15.4% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Saldus
$21 *
Istanbul
$91 324% $69
Getting Around
Saldus
$8.4 *
Istanbul
$75 793% $67
Accommodation & Living
Saldus
- *
Istanbul
$625

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Saldus versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇻 Saldus
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
07:14 7:14 AM
08:14 8:14 AM
1 h ahead of Saldus
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,085
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saldus Istanbul 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saldus
  • 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
Saldus vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saldus cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,679 per month in Saldus and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Saldus or in Istanbul?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Saldus and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $720 per month in Saldus and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Saldus or in Istanbul?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,120 in Saldus and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Saldus or in Istanbul?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,120 in Saldus to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Saldus or Istanbul?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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