Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birzebbuga and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,666 in Birzebbuga, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Birzebbuga
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Birzebbuga Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Birzebbuga

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,666

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in Birzebbuga versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Birzebbuga $1,666
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,645 in Birzebbuga versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Birzebbuga $2,645
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,625 in Birzebbuga versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Birzebbuga $3,625
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Birzebbuga is roughly 8% more expensive than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Birzebbuga 23% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 €13.21

$12.30 ₺609

20.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.1

$54.7 ₺2,708

60.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 €10.51

$9.22 ₺456

28.20%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.32

$4.40 ₺218

-40.68%

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

$2.07 €1.84

$1.68 ₺83.1

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$0.59 ₺29.40

232.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 €1.99

$4.70 ₺233

-52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.01

$5.91 ₺292

-42.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.21 ₺60.0

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.17

$0.89 ₺44.10

48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.19 ₺108

42.47%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.21

$2.35 ₺116

53.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 €7.52

$10.42 ₺516

-18.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 €8.86

$5.65 ₺280

76.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 €16.08

$20.94 ₺1,037

-13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.90 ₺94.1

32.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.31 ₺114

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 €2.79

$1.28 ₺63.1

144.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.80 ₺89.0

61.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$0.65 ₺32.16

141.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$0.64 ₺31.91

189.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.25 ₺62.1

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.56 ₺27.58

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.61

$2.37 ₺118

166.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 €5.78

$13.42 ₺664

-51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.40 ₺119

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.48 ₺172

-32.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 €2.17

$0.89 ₺43.84

174.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.57 €12.96

$67.4 ₺3,338

-78.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 €4.90

$1.29 ₺64.1

327.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$0.92 ₺45.70

135.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.41 €23.49

$10.96 ₺542

140.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.47 ₺72.9

0.68%

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

$29.8K €26.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-41.40%

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

$32.5K €28.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.04%

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

$95.2 €84.6

$88.6 ₺4,387

7.38%

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

$24.84 €22.10

$11.59 ₺574

114.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.98 €37.34

$15.81 ₺783

165.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 €49.45

$77.2 ₺3,820

-27.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.03 €19.60

$22.74 ₺1,126

-3.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.88

$8.14 ₺403

22.60%

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

$368 €328

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-63.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,911 €7,926

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-65.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 €76.2

$54.0 ₺2,671

58.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.86 €34.57

$40.83 ₺2,021

-4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 €79.1

$98.9 ₺4,895

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 €68.5

$96.6 ₺4,783

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 €1,053

$985 ₺48.7K

20.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 €672

$650 ₺32.2K

16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 €1,538

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,189

$1,180 ₺58.4K

13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,932 €3,498

$3,138 ₺155.4K

25.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,809 €2,498

$1,780 ₺88.1K

57.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,771 €1,575

$1,205 ₺59.7K

46.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

40.92

-92.91%

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

Last update for Birzebbuga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Birzebbuga

$756 45.4%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 14% $106

Groceries & Markets

Birzebbuga

$282 16.9%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 8% $22

Eating Out

Birzebbuga

$220 13.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 1.6% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birzebbuga

$162 9.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 28.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Birzebbuga

$131 7.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Birzebbuga

$76 4.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 23.7% $18

Getting Around

Birzebbuga

$41 2.4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 88.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,184 in Birzebbuga and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birzebbuga pays 47% 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: $88.0 in Birzebbuga vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Birzebbuga

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

18:48 6:48 PM

1 h ahead of Birzebbuga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Birzebbuga Istanbul 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Birzebbuga
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

Birzebbuga vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Birzebbuga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,184 in Birzebbuga versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $88.0 in Birzebbuga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,666 per month in Birzebbuga versus $1,550 in Istanbul – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,666 in Birzebbuga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Birzebbuga. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Birzebbuga 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 Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Birzebbuga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.