Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $3,548 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 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
170

Cost of Living Index in Basel
Learn more

Basel Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Basel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $3,548 in Basel.

Istanbul $1,526
Basel $3,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $5,573 in Basel.

Istanbul $2,399
Basel $5,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $7,599 in Basel.

Istanbul $3,272
Basel $7,599

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 57% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 14% above, Basel 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$30.00 CHF 24.90

-60.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$125 CHF 104

-56.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$18.03 CHF 14.97

-49.31%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$6.54 CHF 5.43

-35.17%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$6.48 CHF 5.38

-72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$5.77 CHF 4.79

-90.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$9.22 CHF 7.65

-49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$9.42 CHF 7.82

-36.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-42.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$3.09 CHF 2.56

-69.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.34 CHF 2.77

-30.84%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$7.70 CHF 6.39

-67.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$26.14 CHF 21.69

-59.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$27.34 CHF 22.69

-79.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$41.29 CHF 34.27

-48.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.63 CHF 3.01

-46.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.27 CHF 1.88

0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.03 CHF 2.52

-57.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.70 CHF 3.90

-60.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.75 CHF 1.45

-61.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.98 CHF 1.64

-70.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.17 CHF 1.80

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.61 CHF 1.34

-63.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$11.41 CHF 9.47

-79.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$12.15 CHF 10.09

10.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$2.45 CHF 2.03

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.98 CHF 2.47

18.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$4.82 CHF 4.00

-82.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$103 CHF 85.3

-35.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$7.68 CHF 6.38

-82.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$4.70 CHF 3.90

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$82.9 CHF 68.8

-86.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-36.36%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$42.0K CHF 34.9K

22.93%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

13.08%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$286 CHF 237

-68.81%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$46.01 CHF 38.19

-74.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$63.0 CHF 52.3

-74.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$83.2 CHF 69.0

-7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$57.2 CHF 47.45

-60.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$22.81 CHF 18.93

-63.44%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$2,915 CHF 2,419

-66.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

-20.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$147 CHF 122

-64.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$79.8 CHF 66.3

-50.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$164 CHF 136

-37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$197 CHF 164

-51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,943 CHF 1,613

-48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,503 CHF 1,248

-58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$3,544 CHF 2,941

-42.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$2,822 CHF 2,342

-59.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$18.3K CHF 15.2K

-82.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$14.4K CHF 11.9K

-87.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$6,904 CHF 5,730

-82.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

2.42

1597.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Basel

$1.5K 42.8% 139% $874

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Basel

$583 16.6% 121% $319

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Basel

$487 13.8% 123% $269

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Basel

$265 7.5% 102% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Basel

$395 11.2% 238% $278

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Basel

$129 3.7% 37.1% $35

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Basel

$153 4.4% 103% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $1,943 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 474% 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 $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $583 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

174,491

💱 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 = 1.07 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 = 55.25 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 = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Basel 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Basel

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 Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Basel. 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 474% lower in Basel. 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 $1,943 in Basel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $974 in Istanbul versus $2,915 in Basel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,526 in Istanbul versus $3,548 in Basel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Basel. 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 $1,526 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Basel 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 132% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.