Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mendrisio

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
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Mendrisio Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mendrisio

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Mendrisio $3,034

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,758 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Mendrisio $3,758

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,483 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Mendrisio $4,483

Istanbul is about 49% cheaper than Mendrisio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Mendrisio sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Mendrisio by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$34.26 CHF 28.21

-64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$177 CHF 146

-69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$18.99 CHF 15.64

-51.45%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.80 CHF 3.96

-8.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-68.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-86.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$8.36 CHF 6.88

-43.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.03 CHF 5.79

-15.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-44.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.70 CHF 3.04

-75.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.15 CHF 3.42

-47.23%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.07 CHF 5.83

-66.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$25.44 CHF 20.95

-59.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$28.11 CHF 23.15

-79.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$39.04 CHF 32.15

-46.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.15 CHF 2.60

-39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.70 CHF 1.40

35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.56 CHF 2.11

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.49 CHF 5.35

-72.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.84 CHF 1.52

-64.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-69.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.16 CHF 0.96

-51.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.74 CHF 8.84

-77.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$14.64 CHF 12.06

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.03 CHF 2.50

-70.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$7.07 CHF 5.82

-81.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$5.38 CHF 4.43

-82.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$78.3 CHF 64.5

-86.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-33.18%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.6K CHF 28.5K

46.68%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

15.42%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$304 CHF 250

-70.82%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$25.15 CHF 20.71

-53.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$48.38 CHF 39.85

-67.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$73.1 CHF 60.2

5.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$21.74 CHF 17.91

-62.56%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$3,187 CHF 2,625

-68.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$38.5K CHF 31.7K

-33.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$107 CHF 87.8

-49.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$47.52 CHF 39.14

-14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$164 CHF 135

-39.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$166 CHF 137

-41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,381 CHF 1,137

-28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,199 CHF 987

-45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$6,944 CHF 5,719

-82.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.37

1626.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mendrisio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.5% 84.5% $549

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Mendrisio

$594 19.6% 129% $334

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Mendrisio

$484 15.9% 117% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Mendrisio

$218 7.2% 67% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Mendrisio

$377 12.4% 225% $261

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Mendrisio

$117 3.8% 24.7% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Mendrisio

$46 * 1.5% 40.1% $31

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 $1,381 in Mendrisio. 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 476% higher in Mendrisio, 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 $177 in Mendrisio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $594 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

18:32 6:32 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

15,562

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Mendrisio 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mendrisio

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 Mendrisio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendrisio is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,551 in Mendrisio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, 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 $177 in Mendrisio. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 129% more in Mendrisio, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Mendrisio at $3,034. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mendrisio it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mendrisio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.