Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
Learn more

La Marsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $772 in La Marsa, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
La Marsa $772

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,291 in La Marsa, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
La Marsa $1,291

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,809 in La Marsa, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
La Marsa $1,809

Istanbul costs about 101% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while La Marsa is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.41 TND 10.21

260.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.34 TND 60.9

168.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.24 TND 15.69

75.95%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.30 TND 3.88

238.46%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.60 TND 1.79

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.26 TND 0.77

126.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.48 TND 4.44

217.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.98 TND 5.92

198.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.53 TND 1.60

128.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.31 TND 0.94

187.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.32 TND 6.96

-5.60%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.85 TND 5.53

27.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.51 TND 28.49

9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.65 TND 19.93

-15.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.01 TND 38.98

60.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.03 TND 6.08

-6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.58 TND 10.71

-35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.47 TND 4.42

-12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.67 TND 2.00

168.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.60 TND 1.79

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.65 TND 1.96

-1.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.40 TND 1.21

212.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.30 TND 0.91

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.64 TND 10.91

-34.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.50 TND 19.47

106.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.27 TND 3.79

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.61 TND 4.84

116.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.34 TND 1.03

161.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$6.99 TND 20.93

864.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.29 TND 0.86

344.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.42 TND 1.27

119.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$4.10 TND 12.28

167.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.87 TND 2.60

68.97%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.9K TND 110.5K

37.70%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.1K TND 93.1K

43.27%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$33.98 TND 102

160.77%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$12.23 TND 36.62

-5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$18.32 TND 54.9

-13.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.68 TND 125

85.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$7.45 TND 22.30

205.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.27 TND 15.80

54.46%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$59.5 TND 178

1595.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,560 TND 7,666

898.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$63.5 TND 190

-15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$69.4 TND 208

-41.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$90.9 TND 272

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$89.9 TND 269

7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$288 TND 863

241.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$233 TND 697

179.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$707 TND 2,116

180.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$572 TND 1,712

106.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,831 TND 5,485

71.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,018 TND 3,049

74.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$334 TND 1,000

260.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

192.29%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

La Marsa

$233 30.1% 64.2% $417

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

La Marsa

$198 25.6% 23.8% $62

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

La Marsa

$73 9.5% 67.2% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

La Marsa

$141 18.3% 8.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

La Marsa

$65 8.4% 44.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

La Marsa

$52 6.8% 44.1% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

La Marsa

$11 1.4% 86% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $288 in La Marsa. 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 261% 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 $20.00 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $198 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

01:23 1:23 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

92,987

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul La Marsa 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 101%, 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 $1,159 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, 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 $59.5 in La Marsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $772, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Marsa – 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 La Marsa. 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.