Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $1,702 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
Learn more

Beirut Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Beirut

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $1,702 in Beirut.

Istanbul $1,519
Beirut $1,702

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $2,718 in Beirut.

Istanbul $2,365
Beirut $2,718

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $3,735 in Beirut.

Istanbul $3,212
Beirut $3,735

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 11% less than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 12% above, Beirut 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$15.02 LBP 1.3M

-21.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$68.6 LBP 6.1M

-19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$10.05 LBP 899.3K

-7.86%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$5.08 LBP 455.0K

-15.35%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.40 LBP 214.5K

-26.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.81 LBP 72.2K

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$5.02 LBP 448.9K

-6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.69 LBP 420.1K

51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.00 LBP 179.4K

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.85 LBP 76.5K

3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.18 LBP 194.8K

0.92%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.54 LBP 317.0K

-31.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$11.18 LBP 1.0M

-6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$9.96 LBP 891.5K

-46.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$14.72 LBP 1.3M

43.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$3.13 LBP 280.0K

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.66 LBP 148.4K

38.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.64 LBP 146.5K

-25.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.46 LBP 130.7K

23.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.22 LBP 109.1K

-43.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.55 LBP 138.6K

-58.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.21 LBP 108.3K

12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 LBP 63.7K

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.04 LBP 272.3K

-23.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$11.14 LBP 997.1K

16.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.33 LBP 118.6K

77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.52 LBP 225.2K

31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.58 LBP 141.7K

-44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$76.3 LBP 6.8M

-13.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.91 LBP 439.8K

-73.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$2.18 LBP 195.5K

-61.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$22.60 LBP 2.0M

-50.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.06 LBP 95.2K

39.62%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$54.2K LBP 4.9B

-10.25%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$32.2K LBP 2.9B

30.48%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$211 LBP 18.9M

-56.16%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$23.33 LBP 2.1M

-51.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$37.50 LBP 3.4M

-57.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$101 LBP 9.0M

-25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$33.17 LBP 3.0M

-30.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$9.81 LBP 878.2K

-17.94%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$686 LBP 61.4M

38.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$12.6K LBP 1.1B

193.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

-17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$139 LBP 12.4M

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$122 LBP 10.9M

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$974 LBP 87.1M

4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$509 LBP 45.6M

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$2,373 LBP 212.3M

-15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$1,084 LBP 97.0M

3.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$4,503 LBP 403.1M

-33.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,921 LBP 171.9M

-9.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$690 LBP 61.8M

64.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

267.45%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Beirut: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Beirut

$509 29.9% 18.5% $116

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Beirut

$272 16% 5.5% $14

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Beirut

$259 15.2% 17% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Beirut

$171 10.1% 32.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Beirut

$272 16% 127% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Beirut

$120 7.1% 32.5% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Beirut

$98 5.8% 30.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $974 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $69 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $272 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇧 Beirut

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,916,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,472 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Beirut 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Beirut

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 Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $974 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $1,702 in Beirut – Istanbul is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 13% less than in Beirut. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

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.