Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kasserine

For one person, living is cheaper in Kasserine: $589 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kasserine
Learn more

Kasserine Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Kasserine

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kasserine

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $589 in Kasserine, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Kasserine $589

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $912 in Kasserine, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Kasserine $912

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

Istanbul $3,272
Kasserine $1,235

Istanbul costs about 159% more than Kasserine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Kasserine is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$1.69 TND 5.05

602.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$10.54 TND 31.51

422.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$3.95 TND 11.80

131.39%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$0.71 TND 2.11

497.18%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.59 TND 1.75

196.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.19 TND 0.56

184.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$0.82 TND 2.44

471.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$0.98 TND 2.94

509.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.48 TND 1.45

162.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.10 TND 0.29

850.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.19 TND 3.55

94.12%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.60 TND 4.77

54.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$17.35 TND 51.8

-39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$2.50 TND 7.47

124.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$13.48 TND 40.27

57.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.41 TND 10.20

-43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.49 TND 10.43

-34.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.38 TND 4.13

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.78 TND 2.34

135.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.65 TND 1.93

3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.87 TND 2.60

-32.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.48 TND 1.43

177.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.24 TND 0.71

145.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.44 TND 10.26

-31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.73 TND 23.09

74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.59 TND 4.74

52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.31 TND 3.91

170.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.36 TND 1.06

130.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$11.38 TND 34.00

483.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.23 TND 0.69

486.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.34 TND 1.03

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$4.30 TND 12.85

152.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.81 TND 2.43

81.48%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$39.0K TND 116.4K

32.47%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$36.8K TND 109.8K

20.90%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$56.3 TND 168

58.42%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$7.27 TND 21.73

59.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$16.44 TND 49.13

-2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$20.00 TND 59.8

286.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$10.65 TND 31.82

112.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.89 TND 17.61

41.60%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$20.33 TND 60.8

4690.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,362 TND 7,057

991.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$38.61 TND 115

36.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$30.62 TND 91.5

27.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$40.23 TND 120

156.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$38.71 TND 116

149.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$204 TND 609

387.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$157 TND 469

300.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$372 TND 1,111

444.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$270 TND 806

328.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$969 TND 2,895

226.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$594 TND 1,774

209.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$306 TND 914

293.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

10.33

297.77%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kasserine: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Kasserine

$157 26.3% 75.1% $472

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Kasserine

$204 34.1% 22.8% $60

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Kasserine

$43 7.2% 80.3% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Kasserine

$67 11.2% 49.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Kasserine

$80 13.4% 31.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Kasserine

$32 5.3% 66.2% $62

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Kasserine

$15 2.5% 80.4% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $204 in Kasserine. 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 294% 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 $11.00 in Kasserine. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $204 – making Kasserine the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Kasserine

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

83,534

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kasserine 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kasserine

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 Kasserine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 159%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $883 in Kasserine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kasserine, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $20.33 in Kasserine. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kasserine, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kasserine it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kasserine – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kasserine. 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.