Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Djemila

For one person, living is cheaper in Djemila: $538 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Djemila
Learn more

Djemila Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Djemila

🇩🇿 Algeria

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Djemila

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $538 in Djemila, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Djemila $538

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $889 in Djemila, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Djemila $889

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,239 in Djemila, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Djemila $1,239

Istanbul costs about 188% more than Djemila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Djemila is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.38 DZD 452

263.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$27.78 DZD 3,719

96.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.26 DZD 571

116.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.12 DZD 150

292.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.59 DZD 79.0

184.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 DZD 36.01

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.30 DZD 307

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.18 DZD 291

171.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.85 DZD 114

42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.12 DZD 16.40

641.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.11 DZD 148

97.30%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.20 DZD 160

95.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.87 DZD 1,053

32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.05 DZD 543

39.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.06 DZD 1,882

48.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.12 DZD 283

-10.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.73 DZD 366

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.08 DZD 144

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.89 DZD 119

102.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.57 DZD 76.7

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.49 DZD 65.4

30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.82 DZD 109

52.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.27 DZD 36.43

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.11 DZD 416

-23.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.74 DZD 902

99.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.28 DZD 171

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.96 DZD 262

77.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.23 DZD 30.21

286.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.05 DZD 944

856.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.55 DZD 73.6

134.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.44 DZD 58.4

109.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.53 DZD 741

98.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.33 DZD 44.10

345.45%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.6K DZD 4.8M

42.67%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.2K DZD 4.6M

30.35%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.83 DZD 6,002

97.66%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.52 DZD 1,274

21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.07 DZD 1,617

30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$23.86 DZD 3,195

223.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.47 DZD 599

82.10%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$551 DZD 73.7K

83.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,436 DZD 861.7K

297.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$31.88 DZD 4,268

69.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$34.79 DZD 4,658

17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$68.0 DZD 9,101

45.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$81.1 DZD 10.9K

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$158 DZD 21.2K

522.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$85.1 DZD 11.4K

663.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$287 DZD 38.4K

592.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$170 DZD 22.8K

592.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$983 DZD 131.6K

219.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,005 DZD 134.6K

77.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.3

672.08%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Djemila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Djemila

$85 15.8% 86.9% $565

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Djemila

$174 32.3% 33.1% $86

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Djemila

$73 13.5% 67.5% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Djemila

$97 18% 25.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Djemila

$66 12.3% 42.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Djemila

$33 6.1% 64.9% $61

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Djemila

$11 2% 86.1% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $158 in Djemila. 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 $28.00 in Djemila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $174 – making Djemila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Djemila

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

24,145

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 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 Djemila 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Djemila

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 Djemila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 188% more than Djemila, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $808 in Djemila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Djemila, 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 $1,550 in Istanbul and $538 in Djemila. That's a gap of about 188%.

Public transport costs about 856% less in Djemila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Djemila, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Djemila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Djemila costs $538 versus $1,550 in Istanbul. 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 Djemila. 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.