Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Al Kufrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufrah: $28.07 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Al Kufrah

🇱🇾 Libya

$28.07

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Al Kufrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $28 in Al Kufrah.

Istanbul $1,519
Al Kufrah $28

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $44 in Al Kufrah.

Istanbul $2,365
Al Kufrah $44

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $60 in Al Kufrah.

Istanbul $3,212
Al Kufrah $60

Living in Istanbul is roughly 5311% more expensive than in Al Kufrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Al Kufrah is 98% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$2.36 LYD 15.10

400.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$0.60 LYD 3.85

616.67%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.33 LYD 2.08

436.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.15 LYD 0.97

273.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

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

$11.20 ₺562

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Kufrah: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Al Kufrah

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Al Kufrah

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Al Kufrah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Al Kufrah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Al Kufrah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Al Kufrah

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Al Kufrah

–

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇾 Al Kufrah

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

04:15 4:15 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

46,050

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 LYD = 0.157 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 6.39 LYD (1 LYD = 0.157 USD). 1 EUR = 7.14 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Al Kufrah 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Al Kufrah

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 Al Kufrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufrah is about 98% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $42 in Al Kufrah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

At $28 in Al Kufrah versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kufrah but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufrah 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.