Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Muralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $3,658 in Muralto, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Muralto
Learn more

Muralto Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Muralto

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Muralto

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $3,658 in Muralto, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Muralto $3,658

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $5,343 in Muralto, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Muralto $5,343

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $7,028 in Muralto, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Muralto $7,028

Istanbul is about 58% cheaper than Muralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Muralto sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Muralto by 170%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺595

$29.20 CHF 24.14

-59.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,847

$114 CHF 94.1

-49.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺473

$16.59 CHF 13.72

-42.68%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺219

$5.15 CHF 4.26

-14.56%

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

$1.75 ₺87.0

$6.21 CHF 5.13

-71.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.71

$4.71 CHF 3.90

-88.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺234

$9.46 CHF 7.82

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺306

$7.74 CHF 6.40

-20.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.9

$1.96 CHF 1.62

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.48

$3.87 CHF 3.20

-75.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺114

$3.75 CHF 3.10

-39.20%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺122

$7.68 CHF 6.35

-68.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺525

$27.36 CHF 22.62

-61.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺274

$28.87 CHF 23.86

-80.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,077

$35.86 CHF 29.65

-39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺91.0

$3.82 CHF 3.16

-52.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺114

$2.06 CHF 1.70

11.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.7

$2.55 CHF 2.11

-49.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.5

$4.33 CHF 3.58

-57.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.89

$2.09 CHF 1.73

-68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.29

$2.01 CHF 1.67

-68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺63.1

$2.55 CHF 2.10

-50.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.75

$1.18 CHF 0.97

-52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$9.67 CHF 7.99

-75.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺646

$11.58 CHF 9.57

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$3.17 CHF 2.62

-21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.26 CHF 2.69

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.97

$4.14 CHF 3.42

-80.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,244

$108 CHF 89.3

-39.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺66.0

$7.76 CHF 6.41

-82.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.82

$4.64 CHF 3.84

-80.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺543

$68.8 CHF 56.9

-84.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺71.1

$2.17 CHF 1.80

-34.10%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$37.4K CHF 30.9K

32.43%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$40.0K CHF 33.1K

7.94%

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

$88.8 ₺4,416

$252 CHF 208

-64.74%

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

$11.69 ₺582

$28.49 CHF 23.56

-58.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺800

$63.8 CHF 52.7

-74.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,794

$97.5 CHF 80.6

-21.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,130

$48.05 CHF 39.72

-52.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺411

$27.04 CHF 22.35

-69.45%

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

$1,015 ₺50.5K

$3,346 CHF 2,766

-69.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$27.8K CHF 23.0K

-6.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,649

$152 CHF 126

-64.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,017

$61.0 CHF 50.4

-33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,979

$172 CHF 142

-41.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,653

$208 CHF 172

-54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.6K

$1,746 CHF 1,444

-44.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.2K

$1,707 CHF 1,411

-63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.5K

$2,536 CHF 2,097

-21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺57.1K

$2,542 CHF 2,101

-54.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺154.0K

$15.7K CHF 13.0K

-80.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.9K

$10.9K CHF 9,015

-83.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

2.07

1865.70%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Muralto: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Muralto

$1.7K 46.7% 172% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Muralto

$581 15.9% 122% $319

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Muralto

$452 12.4% 103% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Muralto

$267 7.3% 106% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Muralto

$344 9.4% 195% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Muralto

$152 4.1% 63.4% $59

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Muralto

$156 4.3% 109% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,746 in Muralto. 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 in Istanbul versus $114 in Muralto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $581 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Muralto

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,700

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 49.75 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.7 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.827 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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Between locations

Istanbul Muralto 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Muralto

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 Muralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Muralto is pricier by about 140%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $5,487 in Muralto. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $977 there versus $1,746 in Muralto.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $3,346 in Muralto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 121% more in Muralto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,525 in Istanbul and $3,658 in Muralto. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

For expats, Istanbul is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 140% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.