Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tukums and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tukums: $1,171 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Tukums
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Tukums Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Tukums

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,171

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Tukums vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tukums $1,171
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,647 per month in Tukums vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tukums $1,647
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,123 per month in Tukums vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tukums $2,123
Istanbul $3,212

Tukums is about 23% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tukums sits 13% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 €4.92

$11.81 ₺592

-53.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.96 €19.56

$54.9 ₺2,754

-60.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 €7.97

$9.26 ₺465

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.29

$4.30 ₺216

-14.19%

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

$1.58 €1.41

$1.77 ₺89.0

-10.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$0.56 ₺28.32

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$4.69 ₺235

17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.52

$7.12 ₺357

-28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.25 ₺62.7

-13.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.88 ₺44.17

71.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.20 ₺111

11.36%

Eggs

$2.02 €1.80

$2.43 ₺122

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 €7.78

$10.48 ₺526

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 €5.82

$5.31 ₺267

23.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 €12.46

$21.10 ₺1,058

-33.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.86 ₺93.1

16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$2.30 ₺115

-23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.22 ₺61.0

103.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.80 ₺90.2

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 €0.53

$0.69 ₺34.83

-14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.85

$0.64 ₺32.16

48.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.36 ₺68.0

27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.48

$0.58 ₺28.94

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 €5.80

$2.34 ₺117

178.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 €6.82

$13.03 ₺653

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$2.36 ₺118

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$3.32 ₺166

-39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 €0.99

$0.88 ₺44.07

26.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.28 ₺64.4

164.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.85 ₺42.80

15.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.51 €15.60

$11.09 ₺556

57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.48 ₺74.0

25.00%

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

$26.7K €23.8K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-45.02%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-30.62%

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

$288 €257

$92.7 ₺4,650

211.01%

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

$17.09 €15.22

$11.20 ₺562

52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.21 €18.00

$15.89 ₺797

27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.46 €32.46

$74.7 ₺3,745

-51.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.44

$8.05 ₺404

31.68%

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

$713 €635

$948 ₺47.6K

-24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K €16.3K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-50.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 €61.5

$53.9 ₺2,702

28.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 €44.40

$41.49 ₺2,081

20.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 €70.8

$101 ₺5,060

-21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$91.3 ₺4,580

52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 €196

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-78.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 €201

$625 ₺31.3K

-63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 €301

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-83.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 €296

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-70.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 €504

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-50.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

40.42

-88.20%

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

Last update for Tukums: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tukums

$326 27.8%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 63.2% $206

Groceries & Markets

Tukums

$234 20%

Istanbul

$258 17% 10.5% $25

Accommodation & Living

Tukums

$226 19.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 177% $399

Eating Out

Tukums

$164 14%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 34.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Tukums

$152 13%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 14.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Tukums

$58 4.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 57.5% $33

Getting Around

Tukums

$13 * 1.1%

Istanbul

$75 5% 491% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $221 in Tukums 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 in Istanbul are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Tukums versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $258 – making Tukums the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇻 Tukums

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

1 h ahead of Tukums

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,729

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

On the map

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Between locations

Tukums Istanbul 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tukums
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

Tukums vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,757 per month in Tukums 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 Tukums, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Tukums and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tukums, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Tukums it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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