Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakynthos and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,684 in Zakynthos, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Zakynthos despite lower rent and utilities.

81

Cost of Living Index in Zakynthos
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Zakynthos Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Zakynthos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,684

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,684 per month in Zakynthos vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zakynthos $1,684
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,553 per month in Zakynthos vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zakynthos $2,553
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,422 per month in Zakynthos vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zakynthos $3,422
Istanbul $3,212

Zakynthos costs about 11% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zakynthos and Istanbul sit above the global median – Zakynthos by 25%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.34 €25.24

$11.81 ₺592

139.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €50.7

$54.9 ₺2,754

3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.15

$9.26 ₺465

23.11%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.23

$4.30 ₺216

10.47%

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

$5.58 €4.97

$1.77 ₺89.0

215.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.56 ₺28.32

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.51

$4.69 ₺235

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 €6.05

$7.12 ₺357

-4.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.25 ₺62.7

84.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.78

$0.88 ₺44.17

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.20 ₺111

16.36%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.98

$2.43 ₺122

83.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €13.06

$10.48 ₺526

39.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 €13.31

$5.31 ₺267

181.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 €10.74

$21.10 ₺1,058

-42.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 €3.25

$1.86 ₺93.1

96.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.30 ₺115

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.22 ₺61.0

12.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.80 ₺90.2

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.05

$0.69 ₺34.83

71.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.64 ₺32.16

79.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.36 ₺68.0

-20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.58 ₺28.94

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 €4.71

$2.34 ₺117

126.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 €6.45

$13.03 ₺653

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.36 ₺118

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.23

$3.32 ₺166

-24.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.77

$0.88 ₺44.07

126.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 €45.02

$66.1 ₺3,316

-23.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.68

$1.28 ₺64.4

223.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.85 ₺42.80

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.92 €15.06

$11.09 ₺556

52.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.48 ₺74.0

39.86%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-43.41%

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

$25.7K €22.8K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-38.89%

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

$199 €177

$92.7 ₺4,650

114.62%

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

$41.22 €36.71

$11.20 ₺562

268.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 €26.52

$15.89 ₺797

87.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 €45.43

$74.7 ₺3,745

-31.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.73 €22.02

$22.95 ₺1,151

7.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 €7.74

$8.05 ₺404

7.95%

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

$412 €367

$948 ₺47.6K

-56.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,087 €8,091

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-75.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €97.8

$53.9 ₺2,702

103.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 €35.72

$41.49 ₺2,081

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €109

$101 ₺5,060

21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €125

$91.3 ₺4,580

54.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 €350

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €346

$625 ₺31.3K

-37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €702

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-60.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 €506

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-49.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 €2,150

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-19.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,947 €1,734

$1,730 ₺86.8K

12.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,325 €1,180

$1,136 ₺57.0K

16.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

40.42

-88.92%

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

Last update for Zakynthos: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zakynthos

$389 23.1%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 60.7% $236

Eating Out

Zakynthos

$382 22.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 42.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Zakynthos

$321 19.1%

Istanbul

$258 17% 19.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakynthos

$270 16%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 55.6% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Zakynthos

$186 11.1%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 30.5% $57

Getting Around

Zakynthos

$68 4.1%

Istanbul

$75 5% 9.9% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Zakynthos

$68 4.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 32.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Zakynthos 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 run about 17% higher in Zakynthos. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Zakynthos versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Zakynthos

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Zakynthos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,015

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

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Zakynthos Istanbul 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Zakynthos
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zakynthos vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zakynthos is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,527 per month in Zakynthos 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 Zakynthos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $393 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $412 per month in Zakynthos and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Zakynthos, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,684 in Zakynthos and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zakynthos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.