Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Biskra

For one person, living is cheaper in Biskra: $546 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Biskra
Learn more

Biskra Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Biskra

🇩🇿 Algeria

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Biskra

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $546 in Biskra, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Biskra $546

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $879 in Biskra, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Biskra $879

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,213 in Biskra, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Biskra $1,213

Istanbul costs about 180% more than Biskra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Biskra is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.92 DZD 393

306.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$28.93 DZD 3,889

90.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$3.92 DZD 526

133.16%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.37 DZD 184

209.49%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.04 DZD 140

68.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.30 DZD 40.00

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.60 DZD 215

193.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.15 DZD 288

177.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.36 DZD 183

-7.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.14 DZD 18.63

578.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.37 DZD 185

68.61%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.38 DZD 185

78.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$6.39 DZD 859

65.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.38 DZD 454

65.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$18.78 DZD 2,525

12.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.72 DZD 500

-48.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.40 DZD 457

-32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.76 DZD 237

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.71 DZD 95.8

159.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.75 DZD 101

-10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.49 DZD 66.0

20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.42 DZD 55.9

216.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.34 DZD 46.15

73.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.80 DZD 511

-37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.72 DZD 903

100.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.30 DZD 174

86.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.88 DZD 252

88.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.22 DZD 29.43

277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$7.02 DZD 944

846.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.16 DZD 156

16.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.44 DZD 59.2

93.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$5.16 DZD 694

110.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.33 DZD 44.90

345.45%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$32.2K DZD 4.3M

60.35%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$34.8K DZD 4.7M

27.73%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$41.12 DZD 5,527

116.97%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$8.65 DZD 1,162

34.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$14.33 DZD 1,926

12.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$21.29 DZD 2,861

262.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.63 DZD 622

80.13%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$108 DZD 14.6K

798.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$4,864 DZD 653.9K

429.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$32.95 DZD 4,429

59.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$20.85 DZD 2,803

87.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$69.3 DZD 9,321

48.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$28.72 DZD 3,861

236.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$140 DZD 18.9K

608.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$106 DZD 14.2K

496.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$161 DZD 21.6K

1159.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$149 DZD 20.0K

674.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$982 DZD 132.0K

221.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,060 DZD 142.5K

73.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$229 DZD 30.8K

425.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

5.3

675.28%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Biskra: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Biskra

$106 19.2% 83.2% $524

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Biskra

$201 36.5% 24% $63

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Biskra

$69 12.6% 68.2% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Biskra

$68 12.4% 47.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Biskra

$64 11.7% 45.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Biskra

$31 5.6% 67.5% $63

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Biskra

$11 2.1% 85% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $140 in Biskra. 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 425% higher in Istanbul, 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 $29.00 in Biskra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $201 – making Biskra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Biskra

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

205,608

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.44 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Biskra 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Biskra

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 Biskra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 180%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $819 in Biskra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $546 in Biskra. That's a gap of about 180%.

Public transport costs about 847% less in Biskra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Biskra, where all-in costs run around $546, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Biskra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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