Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Strovolos and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,746 in Strovolos, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Strovolos
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Strovolos Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Strovolos

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$1,746

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,746 per month in Strovolos vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Strovolos $1,746
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,679 per month in Strovolos vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Strovolos $2,679
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,612 per month in Strovolos vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Strovolos $3,612
Istanbul $3,212

Strovolos costs about 15% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Strovolos and Istanbul sit above the global median – Strovolos by 29%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.66 €20.18

$11.81 ₺592

91.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$54.9 ₺2,754

24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 €8.08

$9.26 ₺465

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.42

$4.30 ₺216

-10.70%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.77 ₺89.0

28.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$0.56 ₺28.32

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €4.03

$4.69 ₺235

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €5.12

$7.12 ₺357

-19.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.25 ₺62.7

49.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.73

$0.88 ₺44.17

120.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.20 ₺111

26.36%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.26

$2.43 ₺122

97.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 €11.17

$10.48 ₺526

19.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 €8.18

$5.31 ₺267

72.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 €11.57

$21.10 ₺1,058

-38.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €3.01

$1.86 ₺93.1

82.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.87

$2.30 ₺115

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.22 ₺61.0

103.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.80 ₺90.2

90.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$0.69 ₺34.83

165.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.64 ₺32.16

126.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.36 ₺68.0

-31.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$0.58 ₺28.94

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.58 €4.97

$2.34 ₺117

138.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €7.14

$13.03 ₺653

-38.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.52

$2.36 ₺118

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.32 ₺166

-17.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 €69.0

$66.1 ₺3,316

17.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.90

$1.28 ₺64.4

329.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.85 ₺42.80

98.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.09 €39.26

$11.09 ₺556

297.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.48 ₺74.0

18.24%

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

$31.6K €28.1K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-35.05%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-26.95%

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

$205 €183

$92.7 ₺4,650

121.36%

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

$20.42 €18.18

$11.20 ₺562

82.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 €29.07

$15.89 ₺797

105.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €49.44

$74.7 ₺3,745

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.03 €19.61

$22.95 ₺1,151

-4.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.80

$8.05 ₺404

36.77%

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

$517 €461

$948 ₺47.6K

-45.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €9,216

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-71.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 €87.5

$53.9 ₺2,702

82.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 €45.93

$41.49 ₺2,081

24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.6

$101 ₺5,060

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$91.3 ₺4,580

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 €589

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 €492

$625 ₺31.3K

-11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €916

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 €834

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-16.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 €1,993

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-25.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,205 €1,964

$1,730 ₺86.8K

27.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,674 €1,490

$1,136 ₺57.0K

47.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

40.42

-90.28%

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

Last update for Strovolos: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Strovolos

$552 31.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 13.1% $72

Groceries & Markets

Strovolos

$303 17.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 14.7% $45

Eating Out

Strovolos

$302 17.3%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 26.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Strovolos

$258 14.8%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 53.6% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Strovolos

$162 9.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 20.3% $33

Getting Around

Strovolos

$91 * 5.2%

Istanbul

$75 5% 17.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Strovolos

$78 4.4%

Istanbul

$91 6% 17.1% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $661 in Strovolos 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 47% higher in Strovolos. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Strovolos versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇾 Strovolos

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

1 h ahead of Strovolos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,904

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Strovolos Istanbul 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Strovolos
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

Strovolos vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Strovolos is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,619 per month in Strovolos 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 Strovolos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $661 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $517 per month in Strovolos and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Strovolos, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,746 in Strovolos and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,519 in Istanbul to $1,746 in Strovolos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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