Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Algiers and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
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Algiers Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$594

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $594 in Algiers versus $1,526 in Istanbul.

Algiers $594
Istanbul $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $974 in Algiers versus $2,399 in Istanbul.

Algiers $974
Istanbul $2,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,354 in Algiers versus $3,272 in Istanbul.

Algiers $1,354
Istanbul $3,272

Living in Algiers costs roughly 61% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Algiers is 56% below, Istanbul is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 DZD 461

$11.88 ₺585

-70.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.50 DZD 3,811

$55.1 ₺2,715

-48.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 DZD 572

$9.14 ₺450

-53.17%

Cappuccino

$1.11 DZD 149

$4.24 ₺209

-73.82%

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

$0.60 DZD 80.7

$1.75 ₺86.0

-65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 35.79

$0.54 ₺26.84

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 DZD 298

$4.69 ₺231

-52.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 DZD 295

$5.97 ₺294

-63.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 DZD 121

$1.26 ₺62.1

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.14 DZD 18.69

$0.95 ₺46.82

-85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 DZD 147

$2.31 ₺114

-52.38%

Eggs

$1.26 DZD 168

$2.47 ₺122

-48.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 DZD 1,069

$10.55 ₺520

-24.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 DZD 538

$5.60 ₺276

-28.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 DZD 1,949

$21.21 ₺1,045

-31.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 DZD 272

$1.93 ₺95.1

5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 DZD 361

$2.29 ₺113

17.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 DZD 144

$1.28 ₺63.1

-16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 DZD 124

$1.84 ₺90.8

-49.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 DZD 77.4

$0.67 ₺32.87

-13.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 DZD 60.4

$0.59 ₺29.31

-23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 DZD 103

$1.33 ₺65.4

-42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 DZD 36.38

$0.59 ₺29.11

-54.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 DZD 426

$2.36 ₺116

35.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 DZD 874

$13.47 ₺664

-51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 DZD 171

$2.42 ₺119

-47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 DZD 252

$3.54 ₺174

-46.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 DZD 48.47

$0.83 ₺40.65

-56.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.75 DZD 902

$66.5 ₺3,274

-89.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 DZD 73.5

$1.35 ₺66.6

-59.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 DZD 63.0

$0.85 ₺42.06

-44.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 DZD 763

$10.86 ₺535

-47.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 DZD 47.67

$1.47 ₺72.3

-75.51%

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

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-32.20%

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

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-23.72%

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

$43.39 DZD 5,803

$89.2 ₺4,396

-51.37%

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

$9.87 DZD 1,320

$11.60 ₺572

-14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 DZD 1,648

$16.10 ₺793

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.45 DZD 3,270

$77.3 ₺3,806

-68.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 DZD 3,612

$22.66 ₺1,116

19.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 DZD 607

$8.34 ₺411

-45.56%

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

$547 DZD 73.1K

$974 ₺48.0K

-43.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,264 DZD 837.8K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-75.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.71 DZD 4,241

$52.7 ₺2,597

-39.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 DZD 4,725

$39.16 ₺1,930

-9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 DZD 9,355

$103 ₺5,084

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 DZD 10.6K

$96.6 ₺4,760

-18.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 DZD 21.8K

$994 ₺49.0K

-83.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 DZD 17.4K

$629 ₺31.0K

-79.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 DZD 58.8K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-78.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 DZD 32.6K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-78.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,547 DZD 340.6K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-19.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 DZD 183.6K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-25.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 DZD 44.1K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-72.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

41.09

-87.10%

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

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Algiers

$175 29.9%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 50.7% $89

Accommodation & Living

Algiers

$130 22.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 383% $499

Clothing & Footwear

Algiers

$97 16.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 34.9% $34

Eating Out

Algiers

$73 12.4%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 199% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Algiers

$66 11.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 78.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Algiers

$34 5.7%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 180% $60

Getting Around

Algiers

$11 1.9%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 579% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $163 in Algiers and $994 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 265% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Algiers vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $264 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Algiers

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h ahead of Algiers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,415,811 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar (د.ج)

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Algiers Istanbul 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Algiers
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

Algiers vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 265% lower in Istanbul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $163 in Algiers versus $994 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $594 per month in Algiers versus $1,526 in Istanbul – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Algiers versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Algiers and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.