Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Biel

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,826 in Biel, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Biel

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,826 in Biel, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Biel $2,826

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,452 in Biel, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Biel $4,452

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,078 in Biel, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Biel $6,078

Istanbul is about 45% cheaper than Biel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Biel sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Biel by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$30.08 CHF 24.77

-59.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$108 CHF 88.9

-49.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$18.28 CHF 15.06

-49.56%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.07 CHF 5.00

-27.51%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.17 CHF 4.26

-67.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$4.13 CHF 3.40

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.77 CHF 6.40

-39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.91 CHF 4.04

20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-76.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.30 CHF 2.72

-33.64%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.19 CHF 5.92

-67.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$21.93 CHF 18.06

-52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$27.12 CHF 22.34

-79.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$38.83 CHF 31.98

-46.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-37.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.04 CHF 1.68

13.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.46 CHF 2.02

-47.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.10 CHF 2.55

-41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.47 CHF 1.21

-55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.81 CHF 1.49

-64.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-38.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.05 CHF 0.87

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.99 CHF 9.05

-78.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$14.90 CHF 12.28

-9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.92 CHF 0.76

160.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.77 CHF 1.46

96.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.91 CHF 4.04

-81.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$93.3 CHF 76.9

-27.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$7.84 CHF 6.46

-83.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.53 CHF 3.73

-79.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$83.0 CHF 68.4

-86.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-33.78%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$41.7K CHF 34.4K

21.73%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.8K CHF 28.7K

27.83%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$137 CHF 113

-35.52%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$35.74 CHF 29.43

-67.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$50.2 CHF 41.30

-68.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$77.2 CHF 63.6

-0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$21.92 CHF 18.05

-62.86%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$2,620 CHF 2,158

-61.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$37.2K CHF 30.6K

-31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$108 CHF 89.2

-50.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$40.74 CHF 33.56

0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$136 CHF 112

-27.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$219 CHF 180

-55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,240 CHF 1,022

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,120 CHF 922

-41.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,275 CHF 1,874

-12.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,035 CHF 1,676

-42.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$9,683 CHF 7,975

-67.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$7,818 CHF 6,439

-77.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$5,516 CHF 4,543

-78.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

1.68

2335.71%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Biel: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Biel

$1.1K 39.6% 72.3% $470

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Biel

$538 19% 107% $278

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Biel

$454 16.1% 103% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Biel

$227 8% 73.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Biel

$223 7.9% 92.5% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Biel

$121 4.3% 29.5% $28

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Biel

$143 5.1% 86.5% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,240 in Biel. 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 358% higher in Biel, 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 $108 in Biel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $538 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

56,378

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Biel 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Biel

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 Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Biel is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,240 in Biel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 38% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $2,620 in Biel. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Biel at $2,826. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Biel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Biel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.