Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Fribourg

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

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Fribourg

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

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

Istanbul $1,550
Fribourg $3,310

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,866 in Fribourg, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Fribourg $4,866

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,423 in Fribourg, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Fribourg $6,423

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$30.10 CHF 24.79

-59.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$118 CHF 97.0

-53.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$15.27 CHF 12.58

-39.62%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.14 CHF 5.06

-28.34%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$4.89 CHF 4.03

-65.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$5.12 CHF 4.22

-88.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.18 CHF 5.91

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.45 CHF 5.31

-8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-43.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.15 CHF 2.59

-71.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-37.61%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.23 CHF 5.96

-67.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$23.79 CHF 19.60

-56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$24.77 CHF 20.40

-77.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$36.43 CHF 30.01

-42.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-46.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.68 CHF 1.39

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-47.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-59.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.78 CHF 1.47

-63.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.07 CHF 1.70

-69.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-44.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-54.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.98 CHF 9.04

-78.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.20 CHF 8.40

31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.33 CHF 1.92

49.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.57 CHF 2.94

-75.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$85.7 CHF 70.6

-21.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$9.84 CHF 8.10

-86.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-77.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$72.4 CHF 59.7

-84.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-34.96%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

21.79%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

14.70%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$336 CHF 277

-73.65%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$40.26 CHF 33.16

-71.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$56.2 CHF 46.31

-71.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$58.8 CHF 48.39

31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$29.82 CHF 24.56

-23.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$21.24 CHF 17.50

-61.68%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,762 CHF 1,451

-42.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

-28.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$101 CHF 83.0

-46.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$57.0 CHF 46.97

-28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$159 CHF 131

-37.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$189 CHF 156

-48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,570 CHF 1,293

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,434 CHF 1,181

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,450 CHF 2,018

-19.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,176 CHF 1,792

-45.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

-84.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

-87.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$6,808 CHF 5,607

-82.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.31

1671.43%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fribourg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3% 121% $784

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Fribourg

$536 16.2% 106% $276

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Fribourg

$449 13.6% 101% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Fribourg

$228 6.9% 74.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Fribourg

$433 13.1% 273% $317

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Fribourg

$101 3.1% 8.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Fribourg

$130 3.9% 69.1% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,570 in Fribourg. 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 465% higher in Fribourg, 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 $118 in Fribourg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $536 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

37,485

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Fribourg 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Fribourg

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 Fribourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fribourg costs about 114% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $4,965 in Fribourg. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $1,762 in Fribourg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Fribourg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Fribourg at $3,310. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fribourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $3,310 in Fribourg. 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fribourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.