Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,082 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,082 per month in Varese vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varese $2,082
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,466 per month in Varese vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varese $3,466
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,849 per month in Varese vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varese $4,849
Istanbul $3,281

Varese costs about 34% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Varese and Istanbul sit above the global median – Varese by 54%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.63

$12.30 ₺609

79.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.9

$54.7 ₺2,708

84.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.37

$9.22 ₺456

50.87%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$4.40 ₺218

-50.00%

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

$3.50 €3.11

$1.68 ₺83.1

108.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.59 ₺29.40

186.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 €5.84

$4.70 ₺233

39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 €5.87

$5.91 ₺292

11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.21 ₺60.0

41.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.30

$0.89 ₺44.10

191.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.19 ₺108

57.08%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.55

$2.35 ₺116

117.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.18 €27.73

$10.42 ₺516

199.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.41

$5.65 ₺280

127.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 €24.32

$20.94 ₺1,037

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$1.90 ₺94.1

48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.31 ₺114

20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.28 ₺63.1

129.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$1.80 ₺89.0

81.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$0.65 ₺32.16

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$0.64 ₺31.91

248.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.25 ₺62.1

84.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.56 ₺27.58

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 €7.12

$2.37 ₺118

237.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$13.42 ₺664

-34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.40 ₺119

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$3.48 ₺172

-53.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$0.89 ₺43.84

188.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 €44.21

$67.4 ₺3,338

-26.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$1.29 ₺64.1

334.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.92 ₺45.70

147.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.25 €34.91

$10.96 ₺542

258.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.47 ₺72.9

45.58%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-28.06%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-22.73%

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

$220 €196

$88.6 ₺4,387

148.57%

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

$12.94 €11.51

$11.59 ₺574

11.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €28.73

$15.81 ₺783

104.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.89

$77.2 ₺3,820

-28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 €21.91

$22.74 ₺1,126

8.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 €9.94

$8.14 ₺403

37.22%

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

$733 €652

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-27.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 €6,287

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-72.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.3

$54.0 ₺2,671

98.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €50.5

$40.83 ₺2,021

38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 €117

$98.9 ₺4,895

32.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$96.6 ₺4,783

72.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$985 ₺48.7K

-4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €631

$650 ₺32.2K

9.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,528

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,426

$1,180 ₺58.4K

35.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 €2,246

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,519

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-4.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,127

$1,205 ₺59.7K

98.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

40.92

-90.88%

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

Last update for Varese: 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

Varese

$709 34.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 8.4% $59

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$434 20.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 40.2% $174

Eating Out

Varese

$311 15%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 28.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$266 12.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 56.3% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$208 10%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 37.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$77 3.7%

Istanbul

$93 6% 20.9% $16

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Varese 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 98% higher in Varese, 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 $101 in Varese versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

1 h ahead of Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

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

Varese Istanbul 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Varese vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Varese is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,123 per month in Varese 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 $733 per month in Varese 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 67% more in Varese, 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 Varese at $2,082. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varese 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, Varese makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.