✦ Compare
Athens vs
Istanbul
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Athens, GR vs Istanbul, TR at a glance — Istanbul, TR is 28% cheaper than Athens, GR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $650/mo versus $750/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 44%.
To keep the same standard of living in Istanbul, TR, you'd need
$54,089 / year
Istanbul, TR is 28% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Istanbul, TR vs Athens, GR)
- Housing-24%
- Food & groceries-33%
- Transport-27%
- Utilities-40%
- Healthcare-31%
- Goods & services-25%
◎ How Athens, GR and Istanbul, TR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Athens, GR | Istanbul, TR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 75 | 54 |
| Housing | 72 | 55 |
| Food | 78 | 52 |
| Transport | 55 | 40 |
| Utilities | 100 | 60 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 45 |
| Goods & services | 80 | 60 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $750/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $550/mo | $400/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,400/mo | $1,300/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $2,800 | $2,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,335 | $1,852 |
| Inexpensive meal | $13 | $6 |
| Monthly transit pass | $30 | $30 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 44% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 24% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 15% |
| Corporate tax | 22% | 25% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,000/mo | $700/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $32,412✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $1,244/mo✓ | $720/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $23,565✓ | $15,666✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.6%✓ | 44%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 35 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 | UTC+3 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 66 | 63 |
| Safety index | 62 | 58 |
| Healthcare index | 65 | 65 |
| Pollution index | 55 | 62 |
| Internet speed | 100 Mbps | 60 Mbps |
| Walkability | 75 | 70 |
| Public transport | 72 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr✓ | 78 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +10 °C | +6 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 250 | 190 |
| Rainfall / year | 400 mm | 810 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 3 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Greece vs Turkey. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Athens vs Istanbul — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Athens
Ancient ruins, Mediterranean sun and a coastline on the doorstep — the cheapest of the big Western-European capitals, with a golden visa and a 50% tax break drawing nomads. Grittier than the postcard, and warming fast.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Greek
- Time zone
- UTC+2
- Internet
- 100 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ 10°C · ☀ 28°C · 250 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Koukaki · Kolonaki · Exarchia · Glyfada
Good to know before you move to Istanbul
The only megacity straddling two continents — 15 million people where Europe meets Asia. Big-city energy, deep history and world-class food at a fraction of Western-European prices, offset by a volatile lira and long cross-Bosphorus commutes.
- Currency
- Turkish lira (₺ TRY)
- Languages
- Turkish
- Time zone
- UTC+3
- Internet
- 60 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 58/100
- Climate
- ❄ 6°C · ☀ 24°C · 190 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- C/F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Kadıköy · Beşiktaş · Cihangir · Şişli
Plan your move to Athens
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to Istanbul
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- MoreAvitoVIP
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Athens to Istanbul: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Athens to Istanbul, your cost of living will be roughly 28% cheaper. Istanbul’s cost-of-living index is 54 versus 75 for Athens (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Athens cheaper than Istanbul?
Istanbul is about 28% cheaper than Athens overall — its cost-of-living index is 54 versus 75 for Athens.
Which is more expensive, Athens or Istanbul?
Athens is more expensive than Istanbul. Its cost-of-living index is 75 vs 54 (US = 100) — about 39% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Athens or Istanbul?
Rent is cheaper in Istanbul — about $650/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $750 in Athens.
How much do you need to earn in Istanbul to live like in Athens?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Athens is worth about $54,089 in Istanbul. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Athens or Istanbul?
Turkey has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 44% in Greece.
◷ More comparisons from Athens
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.