Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $3,242 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
Learn more

Balzers Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Balzers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $3,242 in Balzers.

Istanbul $1,526
Balzers $3,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $5,014 in Balzers.

Istanbul $2,399
Balzers $5,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $6,786 in Balzers.

Istanbul $3,272
Balzers $6,786

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 53% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 14% above, Balzers 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$30.43 CHF 25.26

-60.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$119 CHF 98.6

-53.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$21.49 CHF 17.83

-57.47%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$5.56 CHF 4.62

-23.74%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-70.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$5.36 CHF 4.44

-89.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$7.10 CHF 5.89

-33.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$7.11 CHF 5.90

-16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.60 CHF 2.16

-51.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$2.96 CHF 2.45

-67.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.69 CHF 2.23

-14.13%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$12.03 CHF 9.99

-79.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$25.01 CHF 20.76

-57.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$23.41 CHF 19.43

-76.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$48.70 CHF 40.42

-56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.45 CHF 2.87

-44.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.82 CHF 3.17

-40.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.07 CHF 3.37

-68.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.56 CHF 2.13

-28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.34 CHF 1.94

-71.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$2.10 CHF 1.74

-71.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.58 CHF 1.32

-62.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$12.10 CHF 10.04

-80.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$13.67 CHF 11.35

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.99 CHF 1.65

21.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.72 CHF 1.43

105.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$3.49 CHF 2.90

-76.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$81.4 CHF 67.6

-18.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.79 CHF 1.48

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$5.86 CHF 4.86

-85.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$8.34 CHF 6.92

30.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-31.31%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$33.8K CHF 28.1K

52.65%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$32.2K CHF 26.7K

38.05%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$216 CHF 179

-58.73%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$39.00 CHF 32.37

-70.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$70.7 CHF 58.7

-77.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$92.7 CHF 77.0

-16.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$24.01 CHF 19.93

-5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$24.20 CHF 20.08

-65.54%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$296 CHF 245

229.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,624 CHF 7,158

198.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$126 CHF 104

-58.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$50.7 CHF 42.09

-22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$171 CHF 142

-39.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$221 CHF 183

-56.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$989 CHF 821

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,260 CHF 1,046

-50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$2,849 CHF 2,364

-28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$2,312 CHF 1,919

-50.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$16.1K CHF 13.4K

-80.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$5,180 CHF 4,300

-64.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$8,613 CHF 7,148

-86.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

7.55

444.24%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Balzers

$1.3K 39.6% 100% $631

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Balzers

$601 18.9% 128% $337

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Balzers

$470 14.8% 116% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Balzers

$256 8% 94.8% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Balzers

$326 10.3% 179% $209

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Balzers

$141 4.4% 50.2% $47

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Balzers

$126 4% 67.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $989 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 616% 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 $119 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $601 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

4,600

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.93 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Balzers 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Balzers

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 Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 616% lower in Balzers. 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: $994 in Istanbul versus $989 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 128% higher in Balzers. 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 $119 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,526 in Istanbul versus $3,242 in Balzers, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Balzers 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 112% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.