Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Djerba

For one person, living is cheaper in Djerba: $448 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Djerba
Learn more

Djerba Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Djerba

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Djerba

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $448 in Djerba, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Djerba $448

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $785 in Djerba, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Djerba $785

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,122 in Djerba, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Djerba $1,122

Istanbul costs about 246% more than Djerba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Djerba is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.92 TND 8.73

321.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$19.83 TND 59.4

175.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.66 TND 10.98

151.91%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.68 TND 2.05

547.06%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.63 TND 1.90

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.25 TND 0.74

136.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.61 TND 4.81

191.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.99 TND 5.95

196.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.49 TND 1.47

146.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.19 TND 0.58

368.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.31 TND 3.91

67.18%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.49 TND 4.46

57.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.15 TND 30.40

2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.07 TND 15.18

11.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.23 TND 39.62

58.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.72 TND 5.14

10.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.44 TND 7.30

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.09 TND 3.27

17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.70 TND 2.10

157.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.57 TND 1.72

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.64 TND 1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.54 TND 1.63

131.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.27 TND 0.80

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.44 TND 10.30

-31.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.47 TND 16.39

145.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.12 TND 3.36

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.80 TND 2.40

335.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.16 TND 0.47

456.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.29 TND 0.87

344.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.22 TND 0.67

318.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.53 TND 22.55

45.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.85 TND 2.55

72.94%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.9K TND 110.7K

37.45%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.4K TND 106.0K

25.86%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$23.49 TND 70.4

277.22%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.65 TND 28.90

20.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$14.74 TND 44.13

7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$16.59 TND 49.69

365.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.39 TND 49.08

38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.90 TND 11.68

108.72%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$49.13 TND 147

1951.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,468 TND 7,391

935.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$33.32 TND 99.8

61.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.25 TND 109

12.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$33.83 TND 101

192.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$67.0 TND 201

44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$119 TND 356

727.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$67.5 TND 202

862.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$270 TND 809

634.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$206 TND 615

474.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$941 TND 2,818

233.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$492 TND 1,475

261.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$273 TND 819

340.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

13.6

200.88%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Djerba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Djerba

$68 15.1% 89.6% $582

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Djerba

$171 38.2% 34.1% $89

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Djerba

$58 13% 74% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Djerba

$77 17.1% 41.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Djerba

$48 10.7% 58.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Djerba

$24 5.5% 73.9% $69

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Djerba

$2 * 0.5% 97.3% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $119 in Djerba. 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 341% 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 $20.00 in Djerba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $171 – making Djerba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Djerba

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

22:44 10:44 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

89,228

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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 = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Djerba 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Djerba

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 Djerba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 246% more than Djerba, 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 $672 in Djerba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Djerba, 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 $20.00 in Djerba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Djerba, where all-in costs run around $448, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Djerba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Djerba costs $448 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 Djerba. 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.