Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wels and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,885 in Wels, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Wels
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Wels Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Wels

🇦🇹 Austria

$1,885

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,885 per month in Wels vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Wels $1,885
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,801 per month in Wels vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Wels $2,801
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,717 per month in Wels vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Wels $3,717
Istanbul $3,281

Wels costs about 22% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wels and Istanbul sit above the global median – Wels by 40%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.47 €14.65

$12.30 ₺609

33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 €74.1

$54.7 ₺2,708

52.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 €10.07

$9.22 ₺456

22.78%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.79

$4.40 ₺218

-2.95%

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

$3.38 €3.01

$1.68 ₺83.1

101.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$0.59 ₺29.40

405.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 €4.84

$4.70 ₺233

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 €4.82

$5.91 ₺292

-8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.21 ₺60.0

24.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.14

$0.89 ₺44.10

170.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.19 ₺108

-21.00%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.42

$2.35 ₺116

63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.73 €19.33

$10.42 ₺516

108.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.43

$5.65 ₺280

127.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 €19.36

$20.94 ₺1,037

3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$1.90 ₺94.1

56.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.31 ₺114

-23.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$1.28 ₺63.1

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$1.80 ₺89.0

56.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$0.65 ₺32.16

287.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.64 ₺31.91

154.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.25 ₺62.1

80.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.56 ₺27.58

33.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 €6.68

$2.37 ₺118

216.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.95

$13.42 ₺664

-33.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$2.40 ₺119

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.48 ₺172

-37.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.40

$0.89 ₺43.84

203.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.48 €34.23

$67.4 ₺3,338

-42.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €5.01

$1.29 ₺64.1

336.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.08

$0.92 ₺45.70

154.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.71 €27.32

$10.96 ₺542

180.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.47 ₺72.9

21.77%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-39.52%

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

$30.2K €26.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-32.16%

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

$333 €296

$88.6 ₺4,387

275.92%

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

$13.71 €12.19

$11.59 ₺574

18.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.38 €33.25

$15.81 ₺783

136.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.43 €40.41

$77.2 ₺3,820

-41.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.27 €29.59

$22.74 ₺1,126

46.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 €12.13

$8.14 ₺403

67.57%

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

$1,336 €1,189

$1,008 ₺49.9K

32.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-38.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €73.4

$54.0 ₺2,671

52.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 €52.7

$40.83 ₺2,021

44.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.9

$98.9 ₺4,895

12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$96.6 ₺4,783

27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 €601

$985 ₺48.7K

-31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 €489

$650 ₺32.2K

-15.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 €832

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €704

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-32.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,698

$3,138 ₺155.4K

32.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €3,047

$1,780 ₺88.1K

92.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 €2,733

$1,205 ₺59.7K

154.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

40.92

-91.45%

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

Last update for Wels: 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

Wels

$550 29.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 18.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wels

$384 20.4%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 69.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Wels

$362 19.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 28.2% $102

Eating Out

Wels

$280 14.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 20.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Wels

$169 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 22.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Wels

$73 3.9%

Istanbul

$93 6% 28.5% $21

Getting Around

Wels

$67 3.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 15.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Wels 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 155% higher in Wels, 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 $83.0 in Wels versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Wels

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

1 h ahead of Wels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,853

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

Wels Istanbul 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Wels
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

Wels vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wels is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,827 per month in Wels 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 $1,336 per month in Wels 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 39% more in Wels, 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 Wels at $1,885. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wels 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, Wels makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.