Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Algiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $594 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
Learn more

Algiers Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Algiers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $594 in Algiers.

Istanbul $1,526
Algiers $594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $974 in Algiers.

Istanbul $2,399
Algiers $974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $1,354 in Algiers.

Istanbul $3,272
Algiers $1,354

Living in Istanbul is roughly 157% more expensive than in Algiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Algiers is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.45 DZD 461

244.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$28.50 DZD 3,811

93.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.28 DZD 572

113.55%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.11 DZD 149

281.98%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.60 DZD 80.7

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.27 DZD 35.79

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.23 DZD 298

110.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.20 DZD 295

171.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.90 DZD 121

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.14 DZD 18.69

578.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.10 DZD 147

110.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.26 DZD 168

96.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.99 DZD 1,069

32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.02 DZD 538

39.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.57 DZD 1,949

45.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.03 DZD 272

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.70 DZD 361

-15.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.07 DZD 144

19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.93 DZD 124

97.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.58 DZD 77.4

15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.45 DZD 60.4

31.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.77 DZD 103

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.27 DZD 36.38

118.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.19 DZD 426

-26.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.53 DZD 874

106.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.28 DZD 171

89.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.88 DZD 252

88.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.36 DZD 48.47

130.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$6.75 DZD 902

884.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.55 DZD 73.5

145.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$0.47 DZD 63.0

80.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$5.71 DZD 763

90.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.36 DZD 47.67

308.33%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

47.50%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

31.10%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$43.39 DZD 5,803

105.62%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$9.87 DZD 1,320

17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$12.32 DZD 1,648

30.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$24.45 DZD 3,270

215.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$27.00 DZD 3,612

-16.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.54 DZD 607

83.70%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$547 DZD 73.1K

78.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$6,264 DZD 837.8K

311.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$31.71 DZD 4,241

66.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$35.33 DZD 4,725

10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$69.9 DZD 9,355

47.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$79.2 DZD 10.6K

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$163 DZD 21.8K

510.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$130 DZD 17.4K

382.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$440 DZD 58.8K

360.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$244 DZD 32.6K

374.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,547 DZD 340.6K

24.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,373 DZD 183.6K

33.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$330 DZD 44.1K

264.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

5.3

675.28%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Algiers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Algiers

$130 22.3% 79.3% $499

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Algiers

$175 29.9% 33.6% $89

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Algiers

$73 12.4% 66.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Algiers

$97 16.6% 25.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Algiers

$66 11.2% 43.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Algiers

$34 5.7% 64.3% $60

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Algiers

$11 1.9% 85.3% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $163 in Algiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 265% 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 $28.00 in Algiers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $175 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Algiers

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,415,811 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.48 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Algiers 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Algiers

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 Algiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 265% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Istanbul versus $163 in Algiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $594 in Algiers – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $594 in Algiers versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Algiers 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 Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.