Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aswan and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Aswan: $408 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Aswan, Egypt
Istanbul, Turkey
Aswan
🇪🇬 Egypt
$408
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $408 per month in Aswan vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Aswan $408
  • Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $658 per month in Aswan vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Aswan $658
  • Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $909 per month in Aswan vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Aswan $909
  • Istanbul $3,212

Aswan is about 73% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Aswan sits 70% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.54 E£190
$11.81 ₺592
-70.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.09 E£759
$54.9 ₺2,754
-74.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.53 E£244
$9.26 ₺465
-51.08%
Cappuccino
$1.17 E£63.2
$4.30 ₺216
-72.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 E£16.25
$1.77 ₺89.0
-83.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 E£6.22
$0.56 ₺28.32
-78.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.27 E£68.3
$4.69 ₺235
-72.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 E£144
$7.12 ₺357
-62.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 E£43.46
$1.25 ₺62.7
-35.20%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 E£33.40
$0.88 ₺44.17
-29.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.55 E£29.67
$2.20 ₺111
-75.00%
Eggs
$1.16 E£62.3
$2.43 ₺122
-52.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.14 E£169
$10.48 ₺526
-70.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.83 E£206
$5.31 ₺267
-27.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 E£409
$21.10 ₺1,058
-63.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.43 E£77.1
$1.86 ₺93.1
-23.12%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 E£31.95
$2.30 ₺115
-74.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.46 E£24.73
$1.22 ₺61.0
-62.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.27
$1.80 ₺90.2
-82.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.24
$0.69 ₺34.83
-53.62%
Onion (1kg)
$0.29 E£15.49
$0.64 ₺32.16
-54.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.23 E£12.34
$1.36 ₺68.0
-83.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.17 E£9.01
$0.58 ₺28.94
-70.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.81 E£97.3
$2.34 ₺117
-22.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 E£309
$13.03 ₺653
-55.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 E£62.0
$2.36 ₺118
-51.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 E£97.8
$3.32 ₺166
-45.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 E£9.59
$0.88 ₺44.07
-79.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 E£18.51
$1.28 ₺64.4
-73.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 E£10.63
$0.85 ₺42.80
-76.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 E£63.8
$11.09 ₺556
-89.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£23.00
$1.48 ₺74.0
-70.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K E£1.6M
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-38.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K E£1.2M
$42.0K ₺2.1M
-45.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.95 E£751
$92.7 ₺4,650
-84.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.54 E£352
$11.20 ₺562
-41.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.62 E£679
$15.89 ₺797
-20.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.35 E£827
$74.7 ₺3,745
-79.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.48 E£241
$22.95 ₺1,151
-80.48%
Cinema Ticket
$2.60 E£140
$8.05 ₺404
-67.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$81.1 E£4,369
$948 ₺47.6K
-91.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,813 E£97.6K
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-95.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.30 E£878
$53.9 ₺2,702
-69.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 E£2,227
$41.49 ₺2,081
-0.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 E£5,835
$101 ₺5,060
7.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.9 E£2,847
$91.3 ₺4,580
-42.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$126 E£6,770
$1,014 ₺50.8K
-87.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$72.0 E£3,878
$625 ₺31.3K
-88.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$244 E£13.1K
$2,005 ₺100.6K
-87.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$134 E£7,240
$1,126 ₺56.5K
-88.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$715 E£38.5K
$2,988 ₺149.8K
-76.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$332 E£17.9K
$1,730 ₺86.8K
-80.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aswan
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
40.42
-59.90%

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

Last update for Aswan: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Aswan
$112
Istanbul
$258 131% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Aswan
$98
Istanbul
$129 31.4% $31
Accommodation & Living
Aswan
$72
Istanbul
$625 767% $553
Eating Out
Aswan
$69
Istanbul
$221 219% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aswan
$33
Istanbul
$120 262% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Aswan
$21
Istanbul
$91 342% $70
Getting Around
Aswan
$2 *
Istanbul
$75 3585% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Aswan 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Aswan versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $258 – making Aswan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Aswan
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
11:35 11:35 AM
12:35 12:35 PM
1 h ahead of Aswan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
241,261
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.48 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aswan Istanbul 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Aswan
  • 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
Aswan vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aswan cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 273%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $611 per month in Aswan and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aswan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $126 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Aswan or in Istanbul?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Aswan and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Aswan and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 131% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Aswan or in Istanbul?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aswan, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Aswan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Aswan or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Aswan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Aswan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?