Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,730 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Puerto Rico

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,730

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,730 per month in Puerto Rico vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Puerto Rico $1,730
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,579 per month in Puerto Rico vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Puerto Rico $2,579
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Puerto Rico vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Puerto Rico $3,429
Istanbul $3,281

Puerto Rico costs about 12% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto Rico and Istanbul sit above the global median – Puerto Rico by 28%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 €18.15

$12.30 ₺609

65.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 €54.2

$54.7 ₺2,708

11.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$9.22 ₺456

20.50%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$4.40 ₺218

-53.41%

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

$1.94 €1.73

$1.68 ₺83.1

15.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.59 ₺29.40

120.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 €2.47

$4.70 ₺233

-41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$5.91 ₺292

-44.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.23

$1.21 ₺60.0

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$0.89 ₺44.10

175.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$2.19 ₺108

-27.40%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.70

$2.35 ₺116

77.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.85 €17.66

$10.42 ₺516

90.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 €9.15

$5.65 ₺280

82.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.86

$20.94 ₺1,037

-14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.90 ₺94.1

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$2.31 ₺114

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.28 ₺63.1

70.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.80 ₺89.0

46.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$0.65 ₺32.16

230.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$0.64 ₺31.91

212.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.25 ₺62.1

36.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.56 ₺27.58

76.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 €4.22

$2.37 ₺118

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €7.03

$13.42 ₺664

-41.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.40 ₺119

-32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.48 ₺172

-51.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 €1.43

$0.89 ₺43.84

80.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.93 €29.29

$67.4 ₺3,338

-51.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.72

$1.29 ₺64.1

224.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.92 ₺45.70

83.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 €15.13

$10.96 ₺542

55.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.47 ₺72.9

17.01%

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

$35.8K €31.9K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-29.44%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-34.67%

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

$127 €113

$88.6 ₺4,387

43.64%

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

$22.56 €20.07

$11.59 ₺574

94.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 €31.99

$15.81 ₺783

127.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.82 €39.86

$77.2 ₺3,820

-41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 €14.12

$22.74 ₺1,126

-30.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 €8.99

$8.14 ₺403

24.20%

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

$402 €358

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-60.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,970 €4,420

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.2

$54.0 ₺2,671

73.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 €37.35

$40.83 ₺2,021

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €80.1

$98.9 ₺4,895

-8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$96.6 ₺4,783

16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$985 ₺48.7K

-7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €612

$650 ₺32.2K

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,206

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €902

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-14.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,250 €2,891

$3,138 ₺155.4K

3.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,223 €1,977

$1,780 ₺88.1K

24.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

40.92

-91.91%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: 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

Puerto Rico

$688 39.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 5.6% $38

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$332 19.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 21.8% $72

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$255 14.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 12.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$186 10.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 37.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$152 8.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 14.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$65 3.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 43.7% $28

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$52 3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 47.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $908 in Puerto Rico 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Puerto Rico versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Puerto Rico

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

00:14 12:14 AM

2 h ahead of Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

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

Puerto Rico Istanbul 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Rico
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

Puerto Rico vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Puerto Rico is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,594 per month in Puerto Rico 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $402 per month in Puerto Rico 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 28% more in Puerto Rico, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Puerto Rico at $1,730. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Rico it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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