Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Freetown
Learn more

Freetown Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Freetown

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,818 in Freetown, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Freetown $1,818

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,527 in Freetown, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Freetown $1,527

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,235 in Freetown, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Freetown $1,235

Istanbul is about 16% cheaper than Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Freetown sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Freetown by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

479.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

-17.06%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

50.35%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

-6.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

103.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

72.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

73.68%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

37.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

50.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

-44.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

297.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

-72.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

-22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

85.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

-62.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

-67.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

-64.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

-48.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

-22.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

72.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

51.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

83.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

84.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

159.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

73.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

9.70%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

327.05%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

77.71%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

51.45%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

-70.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

432.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

421.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$919 SLL 21.0M

8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

-49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

-42.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

-10.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9% 99.1% $624

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Freetown

$263 * 14.7% 0.5% $1.4

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Freetown

$113 6.3% 48.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Freetown

$36 * 2% 72.8% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Freetown

$123 6.9% 5.4% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Freetown

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3% 93.7% $71

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 $919 in Freetown. 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 12% higher in Freetown, 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 $40.00 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $263 – making Freetown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

09:45 9:45 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, 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).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,848 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,603 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.91 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Freetown 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Freetown

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 Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul, $1,818 in Freetown – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,728 in Freetown. 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 $40.00 in Freetown. 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 $1,818 in Freetown. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Freetown at $1,818. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Freetown has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,526 in Istanbul to $1,818 in Freetown. 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, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.