Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $674 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
Learn more

Banjul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Banjul

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $674 in Banjul, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Banjul $674

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,184 in Banjul, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Banjul $1,184

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,695 in Banjul, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Banjul $1,695

Istanbul costs about 127% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Banjul is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$7.29 GMD 532

62.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$73.0 GMD 5,328

-24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$7.91 GMD 578

15.55%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.76 GMD 274

12.77%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.66 GMD 194

-34.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$1.54 GMD 112

-64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$5.45 GMD 398

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.44 GMD 324

34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.38 GMD 101

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.64 GMD 46.87

48.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.29 GMD 94.5

79.07%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.97 GMD 144

25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$6.16 GMD 450

71.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$2.63 GMD 192

112.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$5.45 GMD 398

289.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.06 GMD 150

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.22 GMD 88.7

87.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.76 GMD 128

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.32 GMD 96.7

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.88 GMD 64.4

-23.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.00 GMD 73.0

-41.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.25 GMD 18.31

432.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.61 GMD 44.59

-3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$1.66 GMD 122

42.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.29 GMD 459

114.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.53 GMD 111

58.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.69 GMD 123

109.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.19 GMD 13.59

336.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$6.40 GMD 468

938.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$0.71 GMD 51.7

19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$4.12 GMD 301

163.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.08 GMD 79.1

36.11%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$2,616 GMD 191.0K

1873.36%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$3,205 GMD 233.9K

1286.92%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$30.89 GMD 2,255

188.83%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$14.21 GMD 1,038

-18.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$45.37 GMD 3,312

-64.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$23.56 GMD 1,720

227.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$13.61 GMD 994

66.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$3.37 GMD 246

147.48%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$6.59 GMD 481

14677.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$136 GMD 9,921

18865.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$55.2 GMD 4,029

-4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$43.48 GMD 3,174

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$99.0 GMD 7,228

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$85.6 GMD 6,251

12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$101 GMD 7,347

887.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$81.2 GMD 5,924

675.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$213 GMD 15.6K

848.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$138 GMD 10.1K

738.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,438 GMD 104.9K

119.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,160 GMD 84.7K

58.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$60.6 GMD 4,426

1884.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

173.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Banjul

$81 12.1% 87.1% $548

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Banjul

$149 22.3% 43.5% $115

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Banjul

$180 26.9% 17.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Banjul

$127 19.1% 2.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Banjul

$90 13.5% 22.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Banjul

$30 4.5% 67.8% $64

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 85.8% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $101 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1885% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $73.0 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $149 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

13:20 1:20 PM

10:20 10:20 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 GMD = 1.37 USD

100 GMD = 1.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, 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 = 55.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 73 GMD (100 GMD = 1.37 USD). 1 EUR = 81.8 GMD (100 GMD = 1.22 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Banjul 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Banjul

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 Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,010 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $674 in Banjul. That's a gap of about 127%.

Public transport costs about 938% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.