Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Strasbourg and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,171 in Strasbourg, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Strasbourg
🇫🇷 France
$2,171
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,526
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,171 per month in Strasbourg vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Strasbourg $2,171
  • Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,196 per month in Strasbourg vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Strasbourg $3,196
  • Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,222 per month in Strasbourg vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Strasbourg $4,222
  • Istanbul $3,272

Strasbourg costs about 42% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Strasbourg and Istanbul sit above the global median – Strasbourg by 62%, Istanbul by 14%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.07 €15.22
$11.88 ₺585
43.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.3 €59.1
$55.1 ₺2,715
20.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.22 €11.79
$9.14 ₺450
44.64%
Cappuccino
$4.55 €4.06
$4.24 ₺209
7.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 €3.10
$1.75 ₺86.0
98.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 €2.38
$0.54 ₺26.84
394.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.09 €7.22
$4.69 ₺231
72.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.95
$5.97 ₺294
-6.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.26 ₺62.1
7.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 €1.74
$0.95 ₺46.82
105.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.59
$2.31 ₺114
25.54%
Eggs
$4.03 €3.60
$2.47 ₺122
63.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$32.68 €29.14
$10.55 ₺520
209.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.92 €15.98
$5.60 ₺276
220.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.95 €20.47
$21.21 ₺1,045
8.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$1.93 ₺95.1
34.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.29 ₺113
10.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 €2.92
$1.28 ₺63.1
156.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 €3.28
$1.84 ₺90.8
100.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.67 ₺32.87
211.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 €2.38
$0.59 ₺29.31
350.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.33 ₺65.4
1.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.66
$0.59 ₺29.11
25.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.77 €12.28
$2.36 ₺116
483.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.92 €7.96
$13.47 ₺664
-33.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.42 ₺119
-13.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 €4.09
$3.54 ₺174
29.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 €2.00
$0.83 ₺40.65
169.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.0 €55.3
$66.5 ₺3,274
-6.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 €3.08
$1.35 ₺66.6
155.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 €1.92
$0.85 ₺42.06
152.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.68 €23.78
$10.86 ₺535
145.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.47 ₺72.3
51.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K €31.3K
$51.6K ₺2.5M
-31.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9K €31.1K
$44.4K ₺2.2M
-21.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 €291
$89.2 ₺4,396
266.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.29 €14.53
$11.60 ₺572
40.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.35 €28.84
$16.10 ₺793
100.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.73 €30.97
$77.3 ₺3,806
-55.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.45 €23.58
$22.66 ₺1,116
16.73%
Cinema Ticket
$13.67 €12.19
$8.34 ₺411
63.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,082 €965
$974 ₺48.0K
11.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K €14.2K
$25.8K ₺1.3M
-38.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 €103
$52.7 ₺2,597
119.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.47 €44.11
$39.16 ₺1,930
26.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 €98.6
$103 ₺5,084
7.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €125
$96.6 ₺4,760
45.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 €879
$994 ₺49.0K
-0.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 €644
$629 ₺31.0K
14.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,818 €1,621
$2,024 ₺99.7K
-10.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,171 €1,044
$1,155 ₺56.9K
1.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,302 €4,727
$3,160 ₺155.7K
67.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,830 €2,523
$1,838 ₺90.5K
54.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Strasbourg
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,946 €2,627
$1,203 ₺59.3K
144.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.76
41.09
-90.85%

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

Last update for Strasbourg: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Strasbourg
$722
Istanbul
$629 12.8% $93
Groceries & Markets
Strasbourg
$440
Istanbul
$264 40.1% $176
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Strasbourg
$375
Istanbul
$117 68.9% $258
Eating Out
Strasbourg
$307
Istanbul
$218 29% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Strasbourg
$187
Istanbul
$131 30% $56
Getting Around
Strasbourg
$85
Istanbul
$75 11.5% $9.8
Sport & Entertainment
Strasbourg
$62
Istanbul
$94 51.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Strasbourg versus $994 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 145% higher in Strasbourg, 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 $66.0 in Strasbourg versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Strasbourg
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
10:36 10:36 AM
11:36 11:36 AM
1 h ahead of Strasbourg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
291,313
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Strasbourg Istanbul 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Strasbourg
  • 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
Strasbourg vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Strasbourg?
Yes – Strasbourg is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,256 per month in Strasbourg and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,082 per month in Strasbourg and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Strasbourg and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 67% more in Strasbourg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Strasbourg or in Istanbul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Strasbourg at $2,171. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Strasbourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Strasbourg or Istanbul more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Strasbourg or Istanbul?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Strasbourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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