Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samos and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Samos: $1,401 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Samos
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Samos Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Samos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,401

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,401 per month in Samos vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samos $1,401
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,081 per month in Samos vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samos $2,081
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,760 per month in Samos vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Samos $2,760
Istanbul $3,212

Samos is about 8% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Samos and Istanbul sit above the global median – Samos by 4%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.06

$11.81 ₺591

-4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.33 €34.15

$54.9 ₺2,748

-30.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 €6.04

$9.26 ₺463

-26.78%

Cappuccino

$2.92 €2.60

$4.30 ₺215

-32.09%

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

$2.34 €2.08

$1.77 ₺88.8

32.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.56 ₺28.26

44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 €3.82

$4.69 ₺234

-8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 €5.76

$7.12 ₺356

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.25 ₺62.6

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$0.88 ₺44.07

65.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.20 ₺110

15.91%

Eggs

$4.59 €4.09

$2.43 ₺122

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 €11.86

$10.48 ₺524

27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.26 €9.14

$5.31 ₺266

93.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.03 €13.39

$21.10 ₺1,056

-28.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.86 ₺92.9

14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.30 ₺115

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.22 ₺60.8

10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.80 ₺90.0

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.05

$0.69 ₺34.75

71.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$0.64 ₺32.09

71.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.36 ₺67.8

-19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.78

$0.58 ₺28.88

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 €4.91

$2.34 ₺117

135.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.39

$13.03 ₺652

-44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.36 ₺118

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.32 ₺166

-20.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.88 ₺43.97

51.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.61 €44.19

$66.1 ₺3,309

-24.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.77

$1.28 ₺64.3

230.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.85 ₺42.70

34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 €14.76

$11.09 ₺555

49.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.48 ₺73.9

44.59%

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

$27.4K €24.4K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-43.70%

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

$25.1K €22.3K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-40.26%

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

$199 €177

$92.7 ₺4,639

114.76%

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

$23.13 €20.61

$11.20 ₺560

106.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 €27.06

$15.89 ₺795

91.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €45.80

$74.7 ₺3,737

-31.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.31 €22.55

$22.95 ₺1,149

10.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €8.05

$8.05 ₺403

12.17%

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

$403 €359

$948 ₺47.5K

-57.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,025 €8,039

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-75.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €79.3

$53.9 ₺2,696

65.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.53 €35.21

$41.49 ₺2,076

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 €83.0

$101 ₺5,049

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$91.3 ₺4,570

32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €437

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-51.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 €341

$625 ₺31.3K

-38.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 €647

$2,005 ₺100.4K

-63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 €532

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-46.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,436 €2,170

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-18.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 €1,761

$1,730 ₺86.6K

14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 €901

$1,136 ₺56.9K

-11.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

40.42

-88.92%

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

Last update for Samos: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samos

$382 27.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 63.3% $242

Groceries & Markets

Samos

$285 20.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 9.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samos

$253 18%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 52.6% $133

Eating Out

Samos

$193 13.8%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 14.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Samos

$154 11%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 16.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Samos

$69 5%

Istanbul

$91 6% 30.7% $21

Getting Around

Samos

$65 4.6%

Istanbul

$75 5% 15.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Samos 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 12% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Samos versus $55 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $285 in Samos vs $258 in Istanbul – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Samos

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

1 h ahead of Samos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,814

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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From you

Samos
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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

Samos vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,102 per month in Samos 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 Samos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $490 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $403 per month in Samos and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Samos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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