✦ Compare
Frankfurt 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.
To keep the same standard of living in Istanbul, TR, you'd need
$35,680 / year
Istanbul, TR is 52% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Istanbul, TR vs Frankfurt, DE)
- Housing-59%
- Food & groceries-51%
- Transport-55%
- Utilities-53%
- Healthcare-53%
- Goods & services-43%
◎ How Frankfurt, DE and Istanbul, TR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Frankfurt, DE | Istanbul, TR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 114 | 54 |
| Housing | 135 | 55 |
| Food | 106 | 52 |
| Transport | 88 | 40 |
| Utilities | 128 | 60 |
| Healthcare | 95 | 45 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 60 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,350/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $950/mo | $400/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,600/mo | $1,300/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,500 | $2,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $881 | $1,852 |
| Inexpensive meal | $15 | $6 |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | $30 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | 20% | 15% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 26.4% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,900/mo | $700/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,200/mo | $600/mo |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 | $15,666 |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.2% | 44% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | High | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 45 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+3 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 68 | 58 |
| Healthcare index | 84 | 65 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 62 |
| Internet speed | 150 Mbps | 60 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 70 |
| Public transport | 85 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 72 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Life expectancy | 81 yr | 78 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +3 °C | +6 °C |
| July avg | +20 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 110 | 190 |
| Rainfall / year | 650 mm | 810 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 3 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Germany vs Turkey. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Frankfurt
Germany's banking capital and its only real skyline — home to the ECB, the country's biggest airport and a compact, international core. Costs run high for Germany but sit below Munich, and the airport makes it the easiest base for anyone who flies a lot.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 3°C · ☀ 20°C · 110 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Nordend · Bornheim · Sachsenhausen · Westend
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 Frankfurt
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- 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 Frankfurt to Istanbul: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Frankfurt to Istanbul, your cost of living will be roughly 52% cheaper. Istanbul’s cost-of-living index is 54 versus 114 for Frankfurt (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Frankfurt cheaper than Istanbul?
Istanbul is about 52% cheaper than Frankfurt overall — its cost-of-living index is 54 versus 114 for Frankfurt.
How much do you need to earn in Istanbul to live like in Frankfurt?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Frankfurt is worth about $35,680 in Istanbul. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Frankfurt or Istanbul?
Turkey has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 45% in Germany.
◷ More comparisons from Frankfurt
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.