Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelma and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelma: $523 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Guelma
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Guelma Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Guelma

🇩🇿 Algeria

$523

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $523 in Guelma versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Guelma $523
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $849 in Guelma versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Guelma $849
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,176 in Guelma versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Guelma $1,176
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Guelma costs roughly 66% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guelma is 61% below, Istanbul is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 DZD 421

$12.30 ₺609

-74.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.77 DZD 2,245

$54.7 ₺2,708

-69.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 DZD 517

$9.22 ₺456

-58.13%

Cappuccino

$0.69 DZD 91.7

$4.40 ₺218

-84.32%

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

$0.59 DZD 79.1

$1.68 ₺83.1

-64.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 DZD 31.92

$0.59 ₺29.40

-59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 DZD 210

$4.70 ₺233

-66.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 DZD 292

$5.91 ₺292

-63.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 DZD 117

$1.21 ₺60.0

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 DZD 19.62

$0.89 ₺44.10

-83.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 DZD 154

$2.19 ₺108

-47.49%

Eggs

$1.19 DZD 159

$2.35 ₺116

-49.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 DZD 1,071

$10.42 ₺516

-23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 DZD 536

$5.65 ₺280

-29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.59 DZD 1,953

$20.94 ₺1,037

-30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 DZD 270

$1.90 ₺94.1

6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 DZD 360

$2.31 ₺114

16.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 DZD 143

$1.28 ₺63.1

-16.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 DZD 129

$1.80 ₺89.0

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 DZD 84.0

$0.65 ₺32.16

-3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 DZD 60.4

$0.64 ₺31.91

-29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 DZD 103

$1.25 ₺62.1

-38.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 DZD 33.57

$0.56 ₺27.58

-55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 DZD 347

$2.37 ₺118

9.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 DZD 873

$13.42 ₺664

-51.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 DZD 145

$2.40 ₺119

-55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 DZD 248

$3.48 ₺172

-46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 DZD 32.10

$0.89 ₺43.84

-73.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.76 DZD 771

$67.4 ₺3,338

-91.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 DZD 75.9

$1.29 ₺64.1

-55.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 DZD 60.1

$0.92 ₺45.70

-51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 DZD 711

$10.96 ₺542

-51.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 DZD 47.73

$1.47 ₺72.9

-75.51%

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

$31.9K DZD 4.3M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-37.18%

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

$34.3K DZD 4.6M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-23.06%

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

$36.43 DZD 4,877

$88.6 ₺4,387

-58.89%

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

$9.29 DZD 1,244

$11.59 ₺574

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.07 DZD 1,616

$15.81 ₺783

-23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.53 DZD 3,016

$77.2 ₺3,820

-70.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 DZD 587

$8.14 ₺403

-46.07%

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

$337 DZD 45.2K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-66.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,258 DZD 570.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-83.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.79 DZD 4,256

$54.0 ₺2,671

-41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.13 DZD 4,569

$40.83 ₺2,021

-16.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 DZD 9,315

$98.9 ₺4,895

-29.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 DZD 10.8K

$96.6 ₺4,783

-16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 DZD 19.0K

$985 ₺48.7K

-85.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$92.4 DZD 12.4K

$650 ₺32.2K

-85.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 DZD 35.8K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-86.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 DZD 26.3K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-83.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$959 DZD 128.4K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-69.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 DZD 140.9K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-40.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 DZD 40.4K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-74.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

40.92

-87.05%

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

Last update for Guelma: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guelma

$174 33.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 49.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Guelma

$97 18.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 34.2% $33

Accommodation & Living

Guelma

$92 17.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 603% $557

Eating Out

Guelma

$60 11.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 269% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelma

$58 11.1%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 101% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Guelma

$31 6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 199% $62

Getting Around

Guelma

$9.5 1.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 707% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Guelma and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 299% 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: $17.00 in Guelma vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $260 per month, with Guelma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇿 Guelma

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

2 h ahead of Guelma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,847

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 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 DZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guelma Istanbul 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Guelma
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

Guelma vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guelma and Istanbul differ by about 197% in total monthly costs ($523 vs $1,550 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 299% 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: $142 in Guelma versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $523 in Guelma versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.