Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Brazzaville

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazzaville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
Learn more

Brazzaville Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Brazzaville

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Brazzaville $1,931

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,959 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Brazzaville $2,959

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,986 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Brazzaville $3,986

Istanbul is about 21% cheaper than Brazzaville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Brazzaville sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Brazzaville by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$8.22 FCFA 4,812

44.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$49.75 FCFA 29.1K

10.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.85 FCFA 2,839

88.45%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.05 FCFA 2,370

4.69%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.59 FCFA 929

10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.31 FCFA 766

-58.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$5.58 FCFA 3,264

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.69 FCFA 2,157

61.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.75 FCFA 1,608

-54.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$4.81 FCFA 2,813

-80.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.00 FCFA 1,754

-23.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.87 FCFA 1,678

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$16.06 FCFA 9,399

-34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$9.45 FCFA 5,527

-40.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.39 FCFA 8,422

47.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.42 FCFA 1,413

-20.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.57 FCFA 2,089

-64.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.91 FCFA 1,701

-36.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.58 FCFA 1,509

-74.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$2.35 FCFA 1,376

-74.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.36 FCFA 796

-2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.83 FCFA 487

-28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.73 FCFA 2,181

-36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.38 FCFA 6,075

29.77%

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

$0.25 FCFA 145

232.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$23.00 FCFA 13.5K

188.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

-21.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.31 FCFA 768

-35.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$6.75 FCFA 3,946

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.36 FCFA 798

8.09%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$29.5K FCFA 17.2M

75.28%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$26.9K FCFA 15.7M

65.12%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$839 FCFA 491.1K

-89.37%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$17.27 FCFA 10.1K

-32.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$42.17 FCFA 24.7K

-61.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$26.27 FCFA 15.4K

194.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$13.90 FCFA 8,133

63.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.60 FCFA 3,279

48.93%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$52.2 FCFA 30.5K

1767.06%

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

$1,175 FCFA 687.2K

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$451 FCFA 264.1K

39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$3,203 FCFA 1.9M

-36.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,449 FCFA 848.0K

-20.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,458 FCFA 2.0M

-8.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,979 FCFA 1.7M

-38.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$451 FCFA 264.1K

166.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.54

528.29%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brazzaville: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Brazzaville

$451 23.4% 28.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Brazzaville

$338 * 17.5% 27.9% $74

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Brazzaville

$176 9.1% 19.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Brazzaville

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Brazzaville

$899 46.5% 669% $782

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Brazzaville

$37 1.9% 60.1% $56

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Brazzaville

$32 1.7% 57.2% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,175 in Brazzaville. 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 167% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $50.0 in Brazzaville. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $338 in Brazzaville – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,932,610 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, 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).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Brazzaville 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Brazzaville

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 Brazzaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazzaville costs about 27% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,897 in Brazzaville. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $50.0 in Brazzaville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $1,931 in Brazzaville. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Brazzaville at $1,931. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brazzaville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,526 versus $1,931 in Brazzaville. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Brazzaville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.