Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Menzel Temime

For one person, living is cheaper in Menzel Temime: $699 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Menzel Temime
Learn more

Menzel Temime Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Menzel Temime

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Menzel Temime

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $699 in Menzel Temime, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Menzel Temime $699

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,107 in Menzel Temime, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Menzel Temime $1,107

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,515 in Menzel Temime, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Menzel Temime $1,515

Istanbul costs about 118% more than Menzel Temime, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Menzel Temime is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$5.50 TND 16.46

117.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$16.53 TND 49.51

246.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$4.78 TND 14.31

98.95%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.58 TND 4.74

178.48%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.65 TND 1.96

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.27 TND 0.81

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$1.63 TND 4.88

188.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$1.66 TND 4.98

269.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$0.47 TND 1.40

163.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.20 TND 0.61

375.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.84 TND 5.50

23.91%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$1.50 TND 4.49

63.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$14.81 TND 44.35

-28.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$6.27 TND 18.79

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$14.58 TND 43.66

48.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.66 TND 4.99

10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$4.43 TND 13.28

-48.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.31 TND 3.91

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$0.92 TND 2.77

97.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.97 TND 2.91

-31.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.80 TND 2.41

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$0.48 TND 1.45

164.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.30 TND 0.91

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$3.34 TND 9.99

-29.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$4.90 TND 14.67

164.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.18 TND 3.52

110.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$1.38 TND 4.13

153.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.35 TND 1.03

134.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$9.69 TND 29.01

572.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$0.31 TND 0.93

329.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.29 TND 0.87

210.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$4.62 TND 13.83

136.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$0.84 TND 2.51

70.24%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$40.0K TND 119.7K

24.02%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$37.1K TND 111.2K

16.30%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$44.22 TND 132

100.75%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$10.32 TND 30.90

13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$19.90 TND 59.6

-19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$26.69 TND 79.9

185.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$12.98 TND 38.87

75.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$3.29 TND 9.85

151.06%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$61.4 TND 184

1553.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,942 TND 5,815

1230.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$47.71 TND 143

11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$68.4 TND 205

-40.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$111 TND 333

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$67.0 TND 201

39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$203 TND 609

380.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$141 TND 422

345.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$395 TND 1,182

401.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$253 TND 756

354.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,057 TND 3,167

192.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$689 TND 2,065

159.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

269.91%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Menzel Temime: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Menzel Temime

$141 20.2% 77.5% $486

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Menzel Temime

$213 30.5% 18.9% $50

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Menzel Temime

$92 13.2% 58.4% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Menzel Temime

$132 18.9% 2.4% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Menzel Temime

$74 10.6% 36.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Menzel Temime

$33 4.8% 64.1% $60

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Menzel Temime

$13 1.8% 82.7% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $203 in Menzel Temime. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $17.00 in Menzel Temime. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $213 – making Menzel Temime the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Menzel Temime

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

23:06 11:06 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

65,645

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Menzel Temime 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Menzel Temime

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 Menzel Temime: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,049 in Menzel Temime. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $61.4 in Menzel Temime. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 Menzel Temime, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Menzel Temime it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Menzel Temime – 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 Menzel Temime. 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.