Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lubumbashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
Learn more

Lubumbashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lubumbashi

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,228 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Lubumbashi $1,228

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,727 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Lubumbashi $2,727

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,226 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Lubumbashi $4,226

Istanbul costs about 26% more than Lubumbashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Lubumbashi is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

-44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

-7.06%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.03 CDF 9,131

9.18%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.08 CDF 2,458

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.99 CDF 4,508

136.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.54 CDF 5,756

132.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.96 CDF 4,446

-38.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.22 CDF 2,764

-27.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.18 CDF 7,204

-31.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.10 CDF 4,761

11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

-29.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

-26.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

-61.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.07 CDF 6,960

-24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

-73.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.98 CDF 6,745

-39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.56 CDF 5,810

-74.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.66 CDF 6,020

-75.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.98 CDF 2,220

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.22 CDF 2,774

-54.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.07 CDF 9,227

-41.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.15 CDF 2,600

108.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.08 CDF 4,719

67.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.01 CDF 2,289

-11.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

-71.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

11.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.48 CDF 3,361

-0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

102.71%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

45.63%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

-11.28%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

-42.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

-73.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$132 CDF 297.9K

666.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

473.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

141.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

67.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$862 CDF 2.0M

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$376 CDF 851.7K

72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

-21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

-42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

210.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$499 CDF 1.1M

256.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6% 42.1% $274

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6% 25.9% $67

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4% 20.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Lubumbashi

$86 7% 34.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7% 55.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6% 21.2% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7% 88.9% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $862 in Lubumbashi. 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 13% 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 $99.0 in Lubumbashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $327 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,139,064

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, 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).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Lubumbashi 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lubumbashi

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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,842 in Lubumbashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $99.0 in Lubumbashi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lubumbashi, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Lubumbashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lubumbashi – 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 Lubumbashi. 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.