Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $58.8 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$58.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Benguela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $58.8 in Benguela.

Istanbul $1,526
Benguela $58.8

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $83.2 in Benguela.

Istanbul $2,399
Benguela $83.2

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $107 in Benguela.

Istanbul $3,272
Benguela $107

Living in Istanbul is roughly 2495% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Benguela is 96% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.66 AOA 2,431

346.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$10.78 AOA 9,838

-15.21%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.90 AOA 821

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$3,801 AOA 3.5M

-68.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

64.36%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays 216% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

12:56 12:56 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

513,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, 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).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,023 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.78 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Benguela 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 2495% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 216% lower in Benguela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $58.8 in Benguela versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Benguela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $58.8 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Benguela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Benguela 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 Benguela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2495% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.