Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Brikama

For one person, living is cheaper in Brikama: $64.8 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Brikama

🇬🇲 Gambia

$64.8

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Brikama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $65 in Brikama.

Istanbul $1,519
Brikama $65

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $108 in Brikama.

Istanbul $2,365
Brikama $108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $151 in Brikama.

Istanbul $3,212
Brikama $151

Living in Istanbul is roughly 2244% more expensive than in Brikama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Brikama is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$6.25 GMD 463

88.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.65 GMD 48.52

172.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.37 GMD 176

2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.32 GMD 24.06

325.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.36 GMD 26.33

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

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

$11.20 ₺562

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brikama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Brikama

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Brikama

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Brikama

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Brikama

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Brikama

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Brikama

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Brikama

–

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇲 Brikama

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

97,233

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 74.15 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 83.28 GMD (100 GMD = 1.2 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Brikama 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Brikama

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 Brikama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brikama is about 96% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,278 in Istanbul and $97 in Brikama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2296% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $65 in Brikama – Brikama is about 96% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $65 in Brikama versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brikama but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Brikama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.