Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Sao Joao da Madeira and in Istanbul: $1,510 and $1,550 a month, rent and utilities included.

73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,510 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,107 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,704 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704
Istanbul $3,281

Sao Joao da Madeira is about 3% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sao Joao da Madeira and Istanbul sit above the global median – Sao Joao da Madeira by 12%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 €8.95

$12.30 ₺609

-18.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 €17.60

$54.7 ₺2,708

-63.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 €6.98

$9.22 ₺456

-14.86%

Cappuccino

$1.14 €1.01

$4.40 ₺218

-74.09%

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

$1.09 €0.97

$1.68 ₺83.1

-35.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$0.59 ₺29.40

64.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.95

$4.70 ₺233

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$5.91 ₺292

-63.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.21 ₺60.0

-29.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 €0.28

$0.89 ₺44.10

-64.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.19 ₺108

-47.95%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.39

$2.35 ₺116

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$10.42 ₺516

-17.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 €4.91

$5.65 ₺280

-2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 €5.79

$20.94 ₺1,037

-68.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.90 ₺94.1

6.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.31 ₺114

-41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.28 ₺63.1

42.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$1.80 ₺89.0

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.65 ₺32.16

203.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$0.64 ₺31.91

193.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.25 ₺62.1

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.56 ₺27.58

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.59

$2.37 ₺118

164.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €4.03

$13.42 ₺664

-66.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.40 ₺119

-49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.48 ₺172

-53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.99

$0.89 ₺43.84

151.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.68 €35.29

$67.4 ₺3,338

-41.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 €3.85

$1.29 ₺64.1

235.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.58

$0.92 ₺45.70

93.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$10.96 ₺542

52.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.47 ₺72.9

29.25%

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

$33.1K €29.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-34.87%

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

$37.7K €33.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-15.43%

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

$110 €97.7

$88.6 ₺4,387

23.94%

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

$16.96 €15.08

$11.59 ₺574

46.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 €40.99

$15.81 ₺783

191.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.44

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €13.42

$22.74 ₺1,126

-33.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 €4.84

$8.14 ₺403

-33.17%

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

$341 €303

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-66.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,932

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-60.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 €58.3

$54.0 ₺2,671

21.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 €33.42

$40.83 ₺2,021

-7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €73.5

$98.9 ₺4,895

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 €87.6

$96.6 ₺4,783

1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €851

$985 ₺48.7K

-2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €683

$650 ₺32.2K

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,349

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,035

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-1.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,957 €2,631

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-5.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 €2,017

$1,780 ₺88.1K

27.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,048 €932

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-13.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

40.92

-91.32%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 15.4% $118

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 40.9% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 32.9% $57

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 52% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 2.1% $2.7

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 24.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 92.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 15% higher in Istanbul, 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $260 – making Sao Joao da Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

2 h ahead of Sao Joao da Madeira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,144

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

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Between locations

Sao Joao da Madeira Istanbul 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Madeira
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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

Sao Joao da Madeira vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,265 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Istanbul, 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 Sao Joao da Madeira, where all-in costs run around $1,510, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sao Joao da Madeira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Joao da Madeira – 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 Sao Joao da Madeira. 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.