Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Grahamstown: $1,121 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Grahamstown
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Grahamstown Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Grahamstown

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,121

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Grahamstown versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Grahamstown $1,121
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,757 in Grahamstown versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Grahamstown $1,757
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,392 in Grahamstown versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Grahamstown $2,392
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 28% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 17% below, Istanbul is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 R 179

$12.30 ₺609

-11.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 R 692

$54.7 ₺2,708

-23.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.06 R 99.9

$9.22 ₺456

-34.27%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.03

$4.40 ₺218

-51.59%

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

$1.04 R 17.21

$1.68 ₺83.1

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 11.94

$0.59 ₺29.40

22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R 45.45

$4.70 ₺233

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 50.6

$5.91 ₺292

-48.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.45

$1.21 ₺60.0

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.57

$0.89 ₺44.10

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.86

$2.19 ₺108

-33.79%

Eggs

$2.82 R 46.40

$2.35 ₺116

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 R 145

$10.42 ₺516

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R 86.5

$5.65 ₺280

-7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.51 R 140

$20.94 ₺1,037

-59.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.07

$1.90 ₺94.1

15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.17

$2.31 ₺114

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.91

$1.28 ₺63.1

32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.34

$1.80 ₺89.0

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.50

$0.65 ₺32.16

156.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.55

$0.64 ₺31.91

114.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.36

$1.25 ₺62.1

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.73

$0.56 ₺27.58

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 R 52.7

$2.37 ₺118

35.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 R 77.1

$13.42 ₺664

-65.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.02

$2.40 ₺119

-49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 29.34

$3.48 ₺172

-48.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.32

$0.89 ₺43.84

73.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 R 10.13

$1.29 ₺64.1

-51.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 R 7.72

$0.92 ₺45.70

-48.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 R 135

$10.96 ₺542

-25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 23.07

$1.47 ₺72.9

-4.76%

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

$35.0K R 576.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-31.15%

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

$32.8K R 540.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-26.39%

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

$120 R 1,983

$88.6 ₺4,387

35.83%

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

$34.81 R 574

$11.59 ₺574

200.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.20 R 728

$15.81 ₺783

179.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.55 R 520

$77.2 ₺3,820

-59.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.55 R 174

$22.74 ₺1,126

-53.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 R 175

$8.14 ₺403

30.22%

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

$175 R 2,891

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-82.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,834 R 79.6K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-81.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 R 1,178

$54.0 ₺2,671

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.90 R 608

$40.83 ₺2,021

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 R 1,803

$98.9 ₺4,895

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 R 1,553

$96.6 ₺4,783

-2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,497

$985 ₺48.7K

-59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,038

$650 ₺32.2K

-43.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 R 12.0K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.9K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-39.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$874 R 14.4K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-72.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$646 R 10.6K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-63.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,164 R 19.2K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-3.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

40.92

-70.82%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grahamstown

$366 32.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 77.3% $283

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grahamstown

$199 17.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 41.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Grahamstown

$196 17.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 32.7% $64

Eating Out

Grahamstown

$158 14.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 41.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Grahamstown

$140 12.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 7% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Grahamstown

$53 4.7%

Istanbul

$93 6% 77.1% $41

Getting Around

Grahamstown

$9.1 * 0.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 744% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Grahamstown and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 4% 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: $42.00 in Grahamstown vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $260 per month, with Grahamstown cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Grahamstown

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h ahead of Grahamstown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,264

15,701,602

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Grahamstown Istanbul 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Grahamstown
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

Grahamstown vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $394 in Grahamstown versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,121 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,550 in Istanbul – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,121 in Grahamstown versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.