Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,127 in Turnhout, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Turnhout
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Turnhout Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Turnhout

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,127

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Turnhout vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Turnhout $2,127
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,076 per month in Turnhout vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Turnhout $3,076
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,024 per month in Turnhout vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Turnhout $4,024
Istanbul $3,281

Turnhout costs about 37% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Turnhout and Istanbul sit above the global median – Turnhout by 58%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.68 €20.17

$12.30 ₺609

84.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 €57.0

$54.7 ₺2,708

17.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.58 €13.86

$9.22 ₺456

68.98%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$4.40 ₺218

-3.41%

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

$3.09 €2.75

$1.68 ₺83.1

83.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$0.59 ₺29.40

362.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.62

$4.70 ₺233

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.16

$5.91 ₺292

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.21 ₺60.0

-10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.89 ₺44.10

83.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.19 ₺108

-2.74%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.54

$2.35 ₺116

69.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 €8.83

$10.42 ₺516

-4.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.11

$5.65 ₺280

61.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 €17.22

$20.94 ₺1,037

-7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.47

$1.90 ₺94.1

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.31 ₺114

4.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.28 ₺63.1

96.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$1.80 ₺89.0

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$0.65 ₺32.16

226.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$0.64 ₺31.91

201.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.25 ₺62.1

-12.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.56 ₺27.58

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 €11.55

$2.37 ₺118

448.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.06 €4.50

$13.42 ₺664

-62.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.40 ₺119

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.11

$3.48 ₺172

-31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 €2.46

$0.89 ₺43.84

211.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.54 €44.07

$67.4 ₺3,338

-26.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 €10.05

$1.29 ₺64.1

775.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 €2.61

$0.92 ₺45.70

218.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 €46.56

$10.96 ₺542

377.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.47 ₺72.9

31.29%

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

$34.8K €30.9K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-31.56%

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

$33.7K €29.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-24.39%

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

$225 €200

$88.6 ₺4,387

154.11%

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

$21.17 €18.83

$11.59 ₺574

82.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.30 €42.07

$15.81 ₺783

199.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 €111

$77.2 ₺3,820

61.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 €19.95

$22.74 ₺1,126

-1.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 €12.10

$8.14 ₺403

67.08%

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

$547 €487

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-45.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K €18.7K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

95.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.94 €41.75

$40.83 ₺2,021

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.9

$98.9 ₺4,895

8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €132

$96.6 ₺4,783

53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €809

$985 ₺48.7K

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 €699

$650 ₺32.2K

20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,100

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €983

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-6.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,592 €2,305

$1,205 ₺59.7K

114.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

40.92

-92.18%

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

Last update for Turnhout: 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

Turnhout

$786 36.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 17.3% $136

Eating Out

Turnhout

$338 15.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 33.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turnhout

$294 13.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 60.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Turnhout

$288 13.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 9.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Turnhout

$184 8.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 29% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Turnhout

$152 7.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 38.4% $58

Getting Around

Turnhout

$87 4.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 11.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Turnhout 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 115% higher in Turnhout, 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 $64.0 in Turnhout versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Turnhout

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

1 h ahead of Turnhout

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,000

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

Turnhout Istanbul 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Turnhout
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

Turnhout vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Turnhout is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Turnhout 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 $547 per month in Turnhout 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 11% more in Turnhout, 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 Turnhout at $2,127. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Turnhout 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, Turnhout makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.