Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Abnub

For one person, living is cheaper in Abnub: $408 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Abnub, Egypt
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Abnub
🇪🇬 Egypt
$408
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Abnub

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 Abnub actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $408 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Abnub $408

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $658 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Abnub $658

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $908 in Abnub, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Abnub $908

Istanbul costs about 273% more than Abnub, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Abnub is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$3.50 E£188
237.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$14.46 E£779
279.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$4.35 E£234
112.87%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$1.23 E£66.4
249.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$0.28 E£15.08
532.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.11 E£6.01
409.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$1.26 E£67.9
272.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$2.63 E£142
170.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$0.83 E£44.46
50.60%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.65 E£35.14
35.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$0.55 E£29.88
300.00%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$1.17 E£63.1
107.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$3.03 E£163
245.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$3.86 E£208
37.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$7.54 E£406
179.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.40 E£75.6
32.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$0.64 E£34.68
259.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$0.46 E£24.62
165.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$0.32 E£17.34
462.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$0.30 E£16.03
130.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.29 E£15.60
120.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$0.25 E£13.47
444.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.16 E£8.77
262.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$1.73 E£93.1
35.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$5.81 E£313
124.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.17 E£62.8
101.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$1.92 E£103
72.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.19 E£10.30
363.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$0.34 E£18.57
276.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.19 E£10.02
347.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$1.14 E£61.5
872.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.39 E£21.10
279.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$30.3K E£1.6M
60.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$23.3K E£1.3M
80.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$14.33 E£772
546.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$6.27 E£338
78.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$12.57 E£677
26.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$15.17 E£817
392.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$2.64 E£142
204.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$79.3 E£4,269
1096.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$1,773 E£95.5K
1981.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$16.12 E£868
234.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$42.17 E£2,271
-1.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$109 E£5,865
-7.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$52.2 E£2,808
75.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$126 E£6,760
707.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$71.5 E£3,849
773.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$244 E£13.1K
722.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$135 E£7,296
731.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$699 E£37.6K
327.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$328 E£17.7K
426.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Abnub
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
16.21
149.35%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Abnub: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Abnub
$71 88.6% $553
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Abnub
$113 56.3% $146
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Abnub
$69 68.8% $152
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Abnub
$99 23.7% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Abnub
$33 72.3% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Abnub
$20 77.5% $70
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Abnub
$2 * 97.3% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $126 in Abnub. 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 $14 in Abnub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $113 – making Abnub the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇪🇬 Abnub
🕒 Local time
12:34 12:34 PM
11:34 11:34 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
111,785
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.48 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Abnub 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Abnub

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 Abnub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Abnub cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 273%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $611 in Abnub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Abnub, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $126 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Abnub?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $14 in Abnub. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Abnub?
Groceries cost about 129% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Abnub?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abnub, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Abnub it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Abnub more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Abnub – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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