Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Acquarossa

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,452 in Acquarossa, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Acquarossa
Learn more

Acquarossa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Acquarossa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Acquarossa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $3,452 in Acquarossa.

Istanbul $1,550
Acquarossa $3,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $5,397 in Acquarossa.

Istanbul $2,415
Acquarossa $5,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $7,342 in Acquarossa.

Istanbul $3,281
Acquarossa $7,342

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 55% less than in Acquarossa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Acquarossa 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$35.09 CHF 28.90

-64.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$145 CHF 119

-62.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$17.71 CHF 14.59

-47.94%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.86 CHF 5.65

-35.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.84 CHF 4.81

-71.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-89.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$9.80 CHF 8.07

-52.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$8.57 CHF 7.06

-31.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-44.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.84 CHF 3.16

-76.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.83 CHF 3.15

-42.82%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$8.35 CHF 6.88

-71.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$26.93 CHF 22.18

-61.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$27.71 CHF 22.82

-79.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-66.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-53.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.79 CHF 2.29

-17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.49 CHF 2.88

-63.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.49 CHF 3.70

-59.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.57 CHF 2.12

-74.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-70.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.54 CHF 2.09

-50.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.28 CHF 1.06

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.99 CHF 9.06

-78.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.74 CHF 11.32

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.70 CHF 2.22

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.16 CHF 2.60

10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.46 CHF 3.67

-80.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$86.2 CHF 71.0

-21.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$8.31 CHF 6.85

-84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.48 CHF 3.69

-79.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$89.4 CHF 73.7

-87.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-38.75%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

31.09%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

15.12%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$272 CHF 224

-67.40%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$35.70 CHF 29.40

-67.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$55.2 CHF 45.44

-71.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$94.0 CHF 77.4

-17.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$39.31 CHF 32.37

-42.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$24.28 CHF 20.00

-66.47%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$3,551 CHF 2,925

-71.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-38.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$141 CHF 116

-61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$58.5 CHF 48.18

-30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$161 CHF 133

-38.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$257 CHF 212

-62.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,805 CHF 1,486

-45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,335 CHF 1,100

-51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$3,264 CHF 2,688

-39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,315 CHF 1,907

-49.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-77.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$10.7K CHF 8,838

-83.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$11.9K CHF 9,827

-89.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.07

1876.81%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Acquarossa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Acquarossa

$1.3K 38.7% 106% $685

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Acquarossa

$672 19.5% 159% $412

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Acquarossa

$527 15.3% 136% $304

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Acquarossa

$278 8.1% 113% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Acquarossa

$363 10.5% 213% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Acquarossa

$143 4.1% 52.6% $49

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Acquarossa

$135 3.9% 75.4% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,805 in Acquarossa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 890% 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: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $145 in Acquarossa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $672 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Acquarossa

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,900

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Acquarossa 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Acquarossa

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 Acquarossa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 123% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 890% lower in Acquarossa. 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,805 in Acquarossa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $145 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $3,452 in Acquarossa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istanbul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Acquarossa 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 Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.