Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hermanus

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermanus: $1,118 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Hermanus
Learn more

Hermanus Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Hermanus

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hermanus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,118 in Hermanus.

Istanbul $1,550
Hermanus $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,727 in Hermanus.

Istanbul $2,415
Hermanus $1,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,336 in Hermanus.

Istanbul $3,281
Hermanus $2,336

Living in Istanbul is roughly 39% more expensive than in Hermanus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Hermanus is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.13 R 216

-6.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$34.89 R 575

56.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.59 R 92.1

64.94%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.30 R 37.84

91.30%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.08 R 17.76

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.87 R 14.27

-32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.23 R 36.66

110.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.77 R 45.61

113.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.19 R 19.66

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.12 R 18.47

-20.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.77 R 29.18

23.73%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.44 R 40.15

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.34 R 137

24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.98 R 82.0

13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.04 R 116

197.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.76 R 29.07

7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.68 R 27.62

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.79 R 29.42

-28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.71 R 28.10

5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.47 R 24.14

-55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.43 R 23.63

-55.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.20 R 19.78

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.17 R 19.28

-52.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.34 R 55.1

-29.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.06 R 116

90.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.45 R 23.81

65.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.95 R 32.12

78.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.48 R 24.34

-39.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.62 R 10.25

108.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.88 R 14.46

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$11.54 R 190

-5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.46 R 24.02

0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.0K R 593.0K

41.09%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.8K R 524.6K

39.85%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$145 R 2,395

-39.05%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$35.60 R 587

-67.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$39.60 R 652

-60.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$21.12 R 348

265.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$13.86 R 228

64.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.19 R 102

31.50%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$245 R 4,032

311.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,463 R 90.0K

367.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$52.2 R 860

3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.45 R 535

25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$101 R 1,658

-1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$86.9 R 1,431

11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$396 R 6,524

148.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$359 R 5,923

80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$716 R 11.8K

176.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$717 R 11.8K

64.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$888 R 14.6K

253.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$659 R 10.9K

170.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

10.94

274.04%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Hermanus

$359 32.2% 44.7% $290

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Hermanus

$197 17.6% 24.2% $63

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Hermanus

$174 15.6% 22.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Hermanus

$122 11% 6.2% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Hermanus

$221 19.7% 90.1% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Hermanus

$34 3% 64.1% $60

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Hermanus

$11 * 1% 85.8% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $396 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $35.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $197 per month, with Hermanus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇿🇦 Hermanus

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

09:51 9:51 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

56,139

💱 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Hermanus 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Hermanus

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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $1,677 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $396 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,118 in Hermanus – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,118 in Hermanus versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hermanus 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 Hermanus 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 Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.