Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Buochs

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,310 in Buochs, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Buochs
Learn more

Buochs Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Buochs

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Buochs

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $3,310 in Buochs, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Buochs $3,310

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $5,071 in Buochs, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Buochs $5,071

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,833 in Buochs, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Buochs $6,833

Istanbul is about 53% cheaper than Buochs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Buochs sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Buochs by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$30.34 CHF 24.99

-59.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$120 CHF 98.6

-54.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$16.23 CHF 13.37

-43.19%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$5.99 CHF 4.93

-26.54%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.52 CHF 4.55

-69.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$4.85 CHF 4.00

-87.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.58 CHF 5.42

-10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.12 CHF 1.74

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.37 CHF 2.78

-73.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.41 CHF 3.63

-50.34%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.34 CHF 6.04

-67.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$26.77 CHF 22.05

-61.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$25.75 CHF 21.21

-78.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$40.23 CHF 33.13

-47.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-46.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.12 CHF 1.75

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.66 CHF 2.19

-51.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.80 CHF 3.95

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.97 CHF 1.62

-67.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-70.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-48.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.21 CHF 1.00

-53.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.73 CHF 8.84

-77.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.00 CHF 10.70

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.36 CHF 1.94

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.30 CHF 2.72

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.62 CHF 3.80

-80.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$100 CHF 82.5

-32.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.45 CHF 4.49

-76.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.33 CHF 2.74

-72.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-81.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-34.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$43.0K CHF 35.4K

18.00%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

12.62%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$228 CHF 188

-61.17%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$30.77 CHF 25.35

-62.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$63.9 CHF 52.6

-75.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$90.9 CHF 74.8

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$44.40 CHF 36.57

-48.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$21.36 CHF 17.60

-61.89%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,839 CHF 1,515

-45.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$33.1K CHF 27.2K

-22.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$139 CHF 114

-61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$87.6 CHF 72.1

-53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$146 CHF 120

-32.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$185 CHF 153

-47.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,674 CHF 1,379

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,426 CHF 1,175

-54.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,838 CHF 2,337

-30.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,426 CHF 1,998

-51.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$16.0K CHF 13.2K

-80.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$12.1K CHF 9,977

-85.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

1.72

2279.07%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Buochs: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Buochs

$1.4K 43.1% 120% $777

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Buochs

$576 17.4% 122% $316

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Buochs

$460 13.9% 106% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Buochs

$251 7.6% 91.9% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Buochs

$323 9.8% 178% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Buochs

$134 4% 43% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Buochs

$141 4.3% 83% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,674 in Buochs. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $120 in Buochs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $576 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Buochs

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

18:33 6:33 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

5,500

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Buochs 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Buochs

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 Buochs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $3,310 in Buochs – roughly 114% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,965 in Buochs. 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 48% 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 $1,839 in Buochs. 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 Buochs at $3,310. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buochs it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $3,310 in Buochs. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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