Cost of living in Germany vs Istanbul Turkey
Are you wondering about the cost of living in Germany compared to the cost of living in Istanbul, Turkey? In this article, I’ll provide a detailed cost breakdown of all our monthly expenses based on our time living in Germany and compared to our current life in Istanbul Turkey. If you’re considering moving to Germany or moving to Istanbul, this will give you a clear idea of how much it costs to live in either place.
All information in this article and more is also included in my YouTube video:
Overview cost of living in Germany vs Istanbul Turkey
I spent most of my life in Germany. In 2023, we moved from Germany to Istanbul Turkey. In this article, I’ll compare our actual monthly expenses during our time in Germany with our living expenses in Istanbul.
This comparison is based on the cost of living for two adults. I will show our monthly expenses for the following categories:
- Rent
- Utilities (part 1)
- Utilities (part 2)
- Groceries
- Restaurants / cafés
- Clothing / household / online
- Public transportation / taxis
- Car
- Education
- Health insurance
- Pharmacy / private hospitals
- Other expenses
(All values in this article are as of September 2024).
1) Rent
Germany
Let’s start with rent in Germany, specifically cold rent (‘Kaltmiete’), which excludes utilities.
Rent varies greatly depending on the city. Let’s assume a one-bedroom apartment with 60 square meters.
The most expensive city is Munich, where rent is around 1.300 Euros per month. In other major cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and Düsseldorf, rents range between 800 and 1.000 Euros.
We paid 735 Euros for a newly built 2-bedroom apartment in a industrial city near Düsseldorf.
However, finding an apartment in German cities is very challenging and often takes months due to very limited housing supply.
Turkey
We don’t pay rent in Istanbul, since we own our apartment.
However, renting a one-bedroom apartment in central districts of Istanbul like Beyoğlu, Şişli, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy or Üsküdar typically costs between 600 and 1.000 Euros per month. Prices can go much higher if you are looking for luxury properties or exclusive neighbourhoods. For this comparison, let’s assume an average rent of 800 Euros in Istanbul.
Interestingly, when you compare the most expensive cities in Germany with central areas in Istanbul, rent is in a similar range. However, rents in all other Turkish cities are significantly cheaper than in Istanbul.
2) Utilities (part 1)
Germany
Next are utilities. In Germany, we paid 245 Euros for gas, water, common dues, property tax, and building insurance.
These costs were included in what is called warm rent (‘Warmmiete’). In total, our rent including these utilities amounted to 980 Euros.
Let me explain the utilities in more detail. Gas costs 58 Euros and is used for heating and hot water. Costs can be higher in older buildings with poor insulation. Common dues cover services like elevator maintenance, cleaning of common areas and garbage collection. In Germany, property tax is paid by the tenant unlike in Turkey and many other countries. Mandatory building and liability insurance were also part of these utilities.
Turkey
In Istanbul, these utility expenses are far lower, totalling 68 Euros. Gas in Istanbul is used for heating, hot water and cooking.
3) Utilities (part 2)
Germany
Next are two more utility items. In Germany, electricity costs 80 Euros and internet 50 Euros per month. Additionally, there is an 18 Euro mandatory fee for public broadcasting (called ‘GEZ’). These utilities add up to 150 Euros.
Turkey
In Istanbul, electricity and internet cost only 20 Euros per month combined.
4) Groceries
Germany
Let’s move on to groceries. In Germany, we spent about 500 Euros per month. These include supermarket items, drugstore purchases and halal meat from special Turkish shops. Due to discount supermarket giants like ALDI and LIDL, Germany boasts some of the cheapest grocery prices in Europe.
Turkey
In Istanbul, our grocery expenses are around 380 Euros per month. This includes weekly trips to local markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. I must note, you don’t get the same fresh taste of fruits and vegetables in Germany.
5) Restaurants / cafés
Germany
Our next cost item are restaurants and cafés. In Germany, we dined out only about once or twice per month. This cost around 70 Euros monthly. Germany doesn’t have a strong dining-out culture like Spain, Italy, or Turkey. We also prepared our desserts at home.
Turkey
In contrast in Istanbul, we eat out 3-4 times per week and spend about 260 Euros per month. Additionally, we get all our desserts from bakeries or patisseries.
6) Clothing / household / online
Germany
For clothing, household items and online orders, we spent around 200 Euros per month in Germany.
Turkey
In Istanbul, we spend around 160 for these items.
7) Public transportation / taxi
Germany
In Germany, we only needed one monthly ticket (‘Deutschland-Ticket’) for public transportation, which costs 58 Euros.
Turkey
In Istanbul, we have two monthly tickets (‘Istanbulkart’) totalling 85 Euros. In addition, we occasionally use taxis for around 8 Euros.
In total we spend 93 euros on public transportation and taxis in Istanbul.
8) Car
Germany
In Germany, we had one small car which cost us 440 Euros per month. This amount included the lease, insurance and petrol.
Turkey
In Istanbul, we don’t own a car, as cars are super expensive in Turkey. They cost almost three times the price in Germany. For example, a brand-new Mercedes E-Class starts at 55.000 Euros in Germany compared to 138.000 Euros in Turkey.
9) Education
Germany
The next cost item is education. In Germany, public schools are free of charge and of good quality. This applies to primary and secondary schools, as well as universities. There are also private schools in Germany, but almost all parents prefer public schools due to their high standards.
Turkey
In Turkey, public schools are also free of charge. The quality of primary schools in Istanbul varies and depends on the neighborhood. There are very good public middle and high schools, but these are super selective and it is very competitive to get in.
Most people who can afford it, prefer private schools. There are many to choose from. Tuition fees for top international private schools range between 1.000 and 2.000 Euros per month. For example, the German school run by the German embassy costs 1.200 Euros per month. There are also more affordable private schools but their quality varies.
10) Health insurance
Germany
Let us now have a look at health insurance. During our time in Germany, I was enrolled in the public health insurance scheme. The premium was directly subtracted from my salary, whereby employers cover almost half of the cost.
Turkey
In Istanbul, we pay 17 Euros per month for the universal insurance program SGK, which covers my entire family. We can visit our family doctor and public hospitals free of charge.
11) Pharmacy / private hospitals
Germany
The next item are costs for pharmacies and private hospitals. In Germany, we spent in average 15 euros per month on medicine. Public health insurance in Germany also covers required treatments in private hospitals. Note, there is no difference of quality level in public and private hospitals in Germany.
Turkey
In contrast, some private hospitals in Istanbul have 5 star hotel-like standards. In 2024, we paid in average 15 Euros to private hospitals and additionally 10 Euros on medicine in Istanbul.
12) Other expenses
Germany
Our remaining costs in Germany amount to about 100 Euros per month. This includes two mobile phone plans, a monthly barber visit and subscriptions like Netflix and YouTube Premium amongst others.
Turkey
In Istanbul, these same items cost us about 75 Euros.
Total costs
If we add everything up, our total monthly expenses in Germany were around 2.500 Euros.
This compares to around 1.900 Euros monthly expenses in Istanbul Turkey. However, since we don’t pay rent in Istanbul, our current monthly expenses in Istanbul are around 1.100 Euros.
Note, this breakdown does not include one-off costs like vacations, furniture or electronics.
Monthly expenses for Germany might increase up to 550 Euros, if you live in Munich or other expensive cities.
Apart from rent, almost all other cost items are quite similar in any city in Germany and Turkey alike. Rent is the single biggest location factor.
You can explore other articles about Istanbul by clicking on one of the following categories: