Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kempton Park

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempton Park: $1,209 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Kempton Park
Learn more

Kempton Park Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kempton Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kempton Park

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,209 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kempton Park $1,209

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,854 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kempton Park $1,854

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,498 in Kempton Park, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kempton Park $2,498

Istanbul costs about 28% more than Kempton Park, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kempton Park is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.85 R 146

38.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$36.72 R 605

48.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.84 R 96.1

57.88%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.39 R 39.33

84.10%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.08 R 17.80

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.83 R 13.70

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.38 R 39.19

97.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.74 R 45.08

115.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.28 R 21.17

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.08 R 17.78

-17.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.77 R 29.09

23.73%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.49 R 41.09

-5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.60 R 142

21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.21 R 85.8

8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$8.76 R 144

139.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.85 R 30.44

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.64 R 27.06

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.78 R 29.39

-28.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.04 R 33.58

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.64 R 27.01

-60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.65 R 27.21

-61.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.22 R 20.07

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.26 R 20.80

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.22 R 53.1

-26.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.32 R 87.7

152.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.62 R 26.68

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.38 R 39.24

46.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.53 R 25.21

-41.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$60.5 R 997

11.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.29 R 4.76

344.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.82 R 13.43

12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$14.67 R 242

-25.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.48 R 24.41

-0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.7K R 571.6K

46.37%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.6K R 521.1K

40.80%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$180 R 2,959

-50.66%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$38.44 R 633

-69.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$36.30 R 598

-56.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.47 R 617

105.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$10.58 R 174

114.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.02 R 132

1.50%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$256 R 4,218

293.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,474 R 90.2K

366.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$52.8 R 870

2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$31.58 R 520

29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$91.2 R 1,502

8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$84.2 R 1,388

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$301 R 4,960

227.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$365 R 6,010

78.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$734 R 12.1K

170.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$734 R 12.1K

60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$862 R 14.2K

264.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$666 R 11.0K

167.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$625 R 10.3K

93.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

11.25

263.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kempton Park

$365 30.2% 43.9% $285

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kempton Park

$207 17.1% 20.3% $53

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kempton Park

$142 11.7% 36.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kempton Park

$117 9.7% 10.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kempton Park

$254 21% 119% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kempton Park

$54 4.4% 42.7% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kempton Park

$71 5.9% 7.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $301 in Kempton Park. 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 93% 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 $37.00 in Kempton Park. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $207 – making Kempton Park the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇿🇦 Kempton Park

🕒 Local time

13:18 1:18 PM

12:18 12:18 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kempton Park 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kempton Park

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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,814 in Kempton Park. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kempton Park, 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 $256 in Kempton Park. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kempton Park, where all-in costs run around $1,209, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kempton Park it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kempton Park – 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 Kempton Park. 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.