Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and George

For one person, living is cheaper in George: $1,105 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in George
Learn more

George Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

George

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,105 in George.

Istanbul $1,550
George $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,834 in George.

Istanbul $2,415
George $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,563 in George.

Istanbul $3,281
George $2,563

Living in Istanbul is roughly 40% more expensive than in George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, George is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.87 R 179

13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$41.26 R 680

32.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.81 R 79.3

91.68%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.10 R 34.66

109.52%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.06 R 17.47

58.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.77 R 12.63

-23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.72 R 44.76

72.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.20 R 52.8

84.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.13 R 18.55

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.04 R 17.20

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.43 R 23.63

53.15%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.80 R 46.05

-16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.36 R 138

24.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.45 R 89.8

3.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$6.66 R 110

214.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.61 R 26.49

18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.47 R 24.19

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.54 R 25.33

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.73 R 28.44

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.63 R 26.89

-60.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.42 R 23.41

-54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.25 R 20.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.97 R 15.99

-42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.18 R 52.4

-25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.72 R 77.8

184.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.22 R 20.09

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.73 R 28.48

101.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.54 R 25.37

-42.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$27.77 R 457

142.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.58 R 9.50

122.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.47 R 7.67

95.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$8.38 R 138

30.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.22 R 20.03

20.49%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.7K R 488.9K

71.15%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.4K R 483.7K

51.67%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$121 R 1,995

-26.80%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.44 R 287

-33.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$45.19 R 745

-65.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$29.75 R 490

159.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$10.64 R 175

113.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.08 R 100

33.88%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$137 R 2,263

633.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,187 R 85.5K

392.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$71.5 R 1,177

-24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.94 R 625

7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$112 R 1,845

-11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$85.8 R 1,413

12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$422 R 6,956

133.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$365 R 6,010

78.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$773 R 12.7K

156.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$929 R 15.3K

27.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$871 R 14.4K

260.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$652 R 10.7K

172.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,364 R 22.5K

-11.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

10.92

274.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for George: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

George

$365 33% 43.9% $285

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

George

$186 16.8% 28.4% $74

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

George

$154 13.9% 31% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

George

$138 12.5% 5.8% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

George

$184 16.6% 58.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

George

$42 3.8% 55.1% $52

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

George

$37 3.3% 52.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $422 in George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $41.00 in George for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $186 per month, with George cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇿🇦 George

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

188,580

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul George 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
George

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in George. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $422 in George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in George – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,105 in George – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,105 in George versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes George the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and George are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.