Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Abalessa

For one person, living is cheaper in Abalessa: $525 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Abalessa
Learn more

Abalessa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Abalessa

🇩🇿 Algeria

$525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Abalessa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Abalessa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $525 in Abalessa, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Abalessa $525

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $839 in Abalessa, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Abalessa $839

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,153 in Abalessa, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Abalessa $1,153

Istanbul costs about 189% more than Abalessa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Abalessa is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺578

$3.63 DZD 489

219.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,728

$15.45 DZD 2,079

253.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺469

$3.37 DZD 454

178.64%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$0.62 DZD 82.8

582.26%

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

$1.72 ₺85.7

$0.62 DZD 83.5

177.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.29

$0.25 DZD 33.17

128.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$1.67 DZD 225

178.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$2.30 DZD 310

197.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$0.80 DZD 107

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺47.02

$0.12 DZD 16.03

683.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.30 DZD 175

72.31%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$1.04 DZD 139

132.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺511

$6.95 DZD 935

47.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$3.61 DZD 487

49.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,057

$12.56 DZD 1,691

68.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.4

$2.13 DZD 286

-11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.77 DZD 373

-19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.8

$1.05 DZD 141

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.1

$0.82 DZD 110

120.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.88

$0.58 DZD 78.2

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.47 DZD 62.9

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.9

$0.77 DZD 104

58.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.38

$0.28 DZD 37.76

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$2.87 DZD 386

-19.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺664

$6.54 DZD 880

103.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.36 DZD 183

71.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.13 DZD 287

62.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.23

$0.23 DZD 31.57

295.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,309

$7.08 DZD 953

837.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.3

$0.64 DZD 86.5

101.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.70

$0.44 DZD 59.6

95.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$5.00 DZD 673

121.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.8

$0.31 DZD 41.91

358.06%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$29.0K DZD 3.9M

69.73%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$37.3K DZD 5.0M

14.89%

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

$87.7 ₺4,377

$35.70 DZD 4,805

145.77%

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

$11.28 ₺563

$10.32 DZD 1,390

9.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺793

$12.33 DZD 1,660

28.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,787

$20.78 DZD 2,797

265.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$4.41 DZD 593

85.94%

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

$1,028 ₺51.3K

$334 DZD 45.0K

207.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$4,930 DZD 663.6K

426.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,661

$33.29 DZD 4,480

60.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,980

$35.88 DZD 4,830

10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,977

$73.4 DZD 9,878

35.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,666

$79.5 DZD 10.7K

17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.1K

$128 DZD 17.2K

683.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$99.1 DZD 13.3K

533.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.9K

$272 DZD 36.6K

620.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺56.0K

$195 DZD 26.2K

476.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.4K

$1,070 DZD 144.0K

187.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.4K

$1,084 DZD 146.0K

61.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

5.3

667.74%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Abalessa

$99 18.9% 84.2% $529

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Abalessa

$164 31.2% 36.5% $94

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Abalessa

$63 12% 71.1% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Abalessa

$100 19% 22.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Abalessa

$58 11.1% 49.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Abalessa

$30 5.6% 67.9% $63

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Abalessa

$11 2.1% 85.6% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $128 in Abalessa. 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 $55 in Istanbul versus $15 in Abalessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $164 – making Abalessa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Abalessa

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

6,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 49.89 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.6 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Abalessa 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Abalessa

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

Istanbul vs Abalessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 189% more than Abalessa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $787 in Abalessa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abalessa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $128 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $15 in Abalessa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Abalessa, where all-in costs run around $525, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Abalessa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Abalessa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Abalessa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.