Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dahab and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Dahab: $431 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Dahab

🇪🇬 Egypt

$431

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $431 per month in Dahab vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Dahab $431
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $718 per month in Dahab vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Dahab $718
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,005 per month in Dahab vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Dahab $1,005
Istanbul $3,212

Dahab is about 72% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dahab sits 68% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 E£196

$11.81 ₺592

-69.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.50 E£673

$54.9 ₺2,754

-77.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 E£248

$9.26 ₺465

-50.22%

Cappuccino

$1.52 E£82.0

$4.30 ₺216

-64.65%

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

$0.47 E£25.34

$1.77 ₺89.0

-73.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.89

$0.56 ₺28.32

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 E£95.0

$4.69 ₺235

-62.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£125

$7.12 ₺357

-67.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£52.0

$1.25 ₺62.7

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 E£56.4

$0.88 ₺44.17

19.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 E£35.50

$2.20 ₺111

-70.00%

Eggs

$1.29 E£69.7

$2.43 ₺122

-46.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 E£524

$10.48 ₺526

-7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 E£200

$5.31 ₺267

-30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 E£529

$21.10 ₺1,058

-53.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 E£120

$1.86 ₺93.1

19.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 E£73.6

$2.30 ₺115

-40.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 E£32.53

$1.22 ₺61.0

-50.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 E£30.45

$1.80 ₺90.2

-68.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 E£30.28

$0.69 ₺34.83

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 E£30.42

$0.64 ₺32.16

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 E£44.67

$1.36 ₺68.0

-38.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 E£9.09

$0.58 ₺28.94

-70.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 E£79.3

$2.34 ₺117

-37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 E£348

$13.03 ₺653

-50.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 E£81.3

$2.36 ₺118

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 E£8.32

$0.88 ₺44.07

-82.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.35 E£396

$66.1 ₺3,316

-88.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 E£40.12

$1.28 ₺64.4

-41.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 E£21.53

$1.48 ₺74.0

-72.97%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$17.10 E£921

$92.7 ₺4,650

-81.56%

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

$6.22 E£335

$11.20 ₺562

-44.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.70 E£899

$15.89 ₺797

5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.34 E£772

$74.7 ₺3,745

-80.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.21 E£496

$22.95 ₺1,151

-59.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 E£246

$8.05 ₺404

-43.35%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 E£9,536

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-82.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 E£6,590

$625 ₺31.3K

-80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 E£26.8K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 E£16.2K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-73.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$124 E£6,695

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-89.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Dahab: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Groceries & Markets

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$258 17%

Eating Out

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$91 6%

Getting Around

Dahab

–

Istanbul

$75 5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $177 in Dahab 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.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Dahab versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $258 – making Dahab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Dahab

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h ahead of Dahab

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.86 USD

100 EGP = 1.65 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.45 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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dahab Istanbul 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dahab
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

Dahab vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 253%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $646 per month in Dahab and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dahab, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $431 in Dahab and $1,519 in Istanbul. That makes Dahab about 72% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Dahab and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dahab, where all-in costs run around $431, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Dahab it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dahab costs $431 versus $1,519 in Istanbul. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Dahab. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.