Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,899 in Varkaus, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,899

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,899 per month in Varkaus vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varkaus $1,899
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $3,014 per month in Varkaus vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varkaus $3,014
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $4,128 per month in Varkaus vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varkaus $4,128
Istanbul $3,212

Varkaus costs about 25% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Varkaus and Istanbul sit above the global median – Varkaus by 40%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 €13.68

$11.81 ₺592

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €90.6

$54.9 ₺2,754

85.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 €10.90

$9.26 ₺465

32.18%

Cappuccino

$5.33 €4.75

$4.30 ₺216

23.95%

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

$3.57 €3.18

$1.77 ₺89.0

101.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.54

$0.56 ₺28.32

408.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.69 €7.74

$4.69 ₺235

85.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 €7.40

$7.12 ₺357

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.25 ₺62.7

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.88 ₺44.17

251.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 €3.24

$2.20 ₺111

65.45%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.56

$2.43 ₺122

64.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 €9.51

$10.48 ₺526

1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 €14.77

$5.31 ₺267

212.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.92 €18.63

$21.10 ₺1,058

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.86 ₺93.1

43.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.30 ₺115

-9.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.16

$1.22 ₺61.0

190.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 €4.31

$1.80 ₺90.2

168.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.10

$0.69 ₺34.83

79.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$0.64 ₺32.16

193.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.36 ₺68.0

75.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$0.58 ₺28.94

224.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 €11.00

$2.34 ₺117

428.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 €11.89

$13.03 ₺653

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.28

$2.36 ₺118

56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 €4.52

$3.32 ₺166

52.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.03

$0.88 ₺44.07

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 €58.8

$66.1 ₺3,316

-0.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 €8.56

$1.28 ₺64.4

650.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.85 ₺42.80

107.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.1 €45.54

$11.09 ₺556

361.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.48 ₺74.0

57.43%

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

$36.9K €32.9K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-24.09%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-10.88%

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

$107 €95.6

$92.7 ₺4,650

15.78%

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

$26.91 €23.96

$11.20 ₺562

140.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 €25.77

$15.89 ₺797

82.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 €38.65

$74.7 ₺3,745

-41.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 €19.90

$22.95 ₺1,151

-2.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.79 €15.84

$8.05 ₺404

120.99%

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

$725 €646

$948 ₺47.6K

-23.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.1K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-66.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €108

$53.9 ₺2,702

124.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 €50.3

$41.49 ₺2,081

36.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 €79.2

$101 ₺5,060

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 €157

$91.3 ₺4,580

92.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 €701

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 €568

$625 ₺31.3K

2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,112

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €940

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-6.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,070 €3,624

$2,988 ₺149.8K

36.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,174 €1,936

$1,730 ₺86.8K

25.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

40.42

-91.12%

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

Last update for Varkaus: 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

Varkaus

$638 33.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 2.2% $14

Groceries & Markets

Varkaus

$412 21.7%

Istanbul

$258 17% 37.4% $154

Eating Out

Varkaus

$309 16.3%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 28.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Varkaus

$199 10.5%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 35% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varkaus

$163 8.6%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 26.6% $43

Getting Around

Varkaus

$98 5.2%

Istanbul

$75 5% 23.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Varkaus

$79 4.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 14.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $787 in Varkaus 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Varkaus versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Varkaus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,257

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

Varkaus Istanbul 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Varkaus
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

Varkaus vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Varkaus is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,849 per month in Varkaus 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 Varkaus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $787 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Varkaus and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Varkaus, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,899 in Varkaus 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 $1,899 in Varkaus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.