Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Birgu

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,731 in Birgu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Birgu
Learn more

Birgu Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Birgu

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Birgu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,731 in Birgu.

Istanbul $1,550
Birgu $1,731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,817 in Birgu.

Istanbul $2,415
Birgu $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,902 in Birgu.

Istanbul $3,281
Birgu $3,902

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 10% less than in Birgu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Birgu 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$19.77 €17.58

-37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$87.6 €77.9

-37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$11.87 €10.56

-22.33%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.64 €2.35

66.67%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.29 €2.04

-26.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.72 €1.53

-65.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$4.48 €3.98

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.18 €4.61

14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.36 €1.21

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.34 €1.19

-33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.21 €3.74

-47.98%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.05 €3.60

-41.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.31 €7.39

25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$8.59 €7.64

-34.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.33 €13.63

36.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.77 €2.46

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.26 €1.12

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.82 €2.51

-54.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.77 €2.46

-35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.20 €1.96

-70.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.69 €1.51

-62.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.30 €2.05

-45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.87 €0.77

-35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.82 €6.06

-65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.32 €7.40

61.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.59 €1.42

50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.44 €2.17

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.34 €2.08

-61.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$13.80 €12.27

388.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.42 €4.82

-76.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.09 €0.97

-15.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$27.03 €24.04

-59.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.46 €1.30

0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.0K €23.2K

95.05%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.7K €29.1K

36.33%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$103 €91.3

-13.70%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$25.53 €22.70

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$33.11 €29.45

-52.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$43.55 €38.74

77.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$66.5 €59.2

-65.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.89 €8.80

-17.69%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$371 €330

171.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,023 €1,799

1163.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$25.33 €22.53

112.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.87 €30.13

20.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$100 €89.1

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$110 €97.4

-11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$980 €872

0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$798 €709

-18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,785 €1,588

11.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,534 €1,365

-23.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,050 €3,603

-22.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,820 €2,509

-36.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,873 €1,666

-35.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.9

1311.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Birgu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Birgu

$798 46.1% 22.7% $148

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Birgu

$279 16.2% 7.6% $20

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Birgu

$274 15.8% 22.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Birgu

$121 7% 7.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Birgu

$161 9.3% 39% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Birgu

$63 3.7% 32.2% $30

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Birgu

$34 2% 55.7% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $980 in Birgu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 55% 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 $88.0 in Birgu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $279 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇹 Birgu

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

15:23 3:23 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Birgu 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Birgu

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 Birgu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Birgu. 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 55% lower in Birgu. 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $980 in Birgu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 389% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $371 in Birgu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,731 in Birgu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Birgu. 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 $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Birgu 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 12% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.