Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Beersheba

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $2,314 in Beersheba, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Beersheba, Israel
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Beersheba
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,314
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Beersheba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $2,314 in Beersheba.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Beersheba $2,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $3,483 in Beersheba.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Beersheba $3,483

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $4,653 in Beersheba.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Beersheba $4,653

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 34% less than in Beersheba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Beersheba 71% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$22.39 ₪71.8
-47.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$90.6 ₪290
-39.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$19.04 ₪61.0
-51.37%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$4.51 ₪14.46
-4.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$3.31 ₪10.62
-46.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$2.70 ₪8.65
-79.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$8.47 ₪27.16
-44.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$7.85 ₪25.16
-9.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$2.34 ₪7.49
-46.58%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$2.61 ₪8.35
-66.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$3.07 ₪9.84
-28.34%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$4.56 ₪14.63
-46.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$21.67 ₪69.5
-51.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$12.68 ₪40.63
-58.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$23.98 ₪76.9
-12.01%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$4.02 ₪12.88
-53.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$3.38 ₪10.82
-31.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$2.53 ₪8.10
-51.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$3.39 ₪10.86
-46.90%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$1.90 ₪6.08
-63.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$1.71 ₪5.48
-62.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$2.49 ₪7.98
-45.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$1.87 ₪5.99
-68.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$14.27 ₪45.74
-83.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$11.26 ₪36.10
15.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$4.32 ₪13.84
-45.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$3.36 ₪10.76
-1.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$2.62 ₪8.41
-66.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$102 ₪326
-34.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$3.89 ₪12.46
-67.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$1.61 ₪5.17
-47.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$36.62 ₪117
-69.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$2.49 ₪8.00
-40.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$54.7K ₪175.5K
-11.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$52.4K ₪167.9K
-19.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$358 ₪1,148
-74.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$11.72 ₪37.57
-4.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$40.62 ₪130
-60.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$72.2 ₪231
3.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$15.33 ₪49.13
-47.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$1,600 ₪5,127
-40.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$103 ₪330
-47.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$75.6 ₪242
-45.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$134 ₪431
-24.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$217 ₪694
-57.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$859 ₪2,754
17.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$626 ₪2,005
-0.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$1,358 ₪4,352
47.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$1,031 ₪3,303
9.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$4,073 ₪13.1K
-26.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$4,024 ₪12.9K
-57.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Beersheba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$3,819 ₪12.2K
-70.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
4.98
711.65%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Beersheba: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Beersheba
$626 0.2% $1
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Beersheba
$440 70.4% $182
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Beersheba
$372 68.6% $152
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Beersheba
$238 84.1% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Beersheba
$410 243% $291
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Beersheba
$103 13.3% $12
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Beersheba
$124 65.1% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $859 in Beersheba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beersheba pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $91 in Beersheba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $440 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇮🇱 Beersheba
🕒 Local time
14:36 2:36 PM
13:36 1:36 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
220,126
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.21 ILS (1 ILS = 0.312 USD). 1 EUR = 3.6 ILS (1 ILS = 0.278 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Beersheba 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Beersheba

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 Beersheba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Beersheba?
Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Beersheba. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Istanbul or in Beersheba?
On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Istanbul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Istanbul compared to Beersheba?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $859 in Beersheba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Istanbul compared to Beersheba?
All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $2,314 in Beersheba – Istanbul is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Istanbul compared to Beersheba?
A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 35% less than in Beersheba. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Istanbul or in Beersheba?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Istanbul is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Istanbul or Beersheba?
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.
Should I move to Istanbul or to Beersheba?
It comes down to priorities – Istanbul wins on affordability, Beersheba on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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