Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nablus

For one person, living is cheaper in Nablus: $1,098 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Nablus, Palestine
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Nablus
🇵🇸 Palestine
$1,098
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nablus

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,098 in Nablus, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Nablus $1,098

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,346 in Nablus, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Nablus $2,346

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $3,594 in Nablus, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Nablus $3,594

Istanbul costs about 38% more than Nablus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Nablus is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺591
$7.22 ₪22.84
63.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,748
$37.49 ₪119
46.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺463
$11.24 ₪35.57
-17.62%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺215
$3.09 ₪9.78
39.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺88.8
$0.92 ₪2.90
92.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.26
$0.62 ₪1.95
-9.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺234
$4.53 ₪14.33
3.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺356
$4.73 ₪14.98
50.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.6
$2.17 ₪6.87
-42.40%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.79 ₪2.49
11.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺110
$3.09 ₪9.77
-28.80%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$2.00 ₪6.32
21.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺524
$12.61 ₪39.88
-16.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺266
$11.67 ₪36.91
-54.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,056
$19.21 ₪60.8
9.84%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺92.9
$3.21 ₪10.17
-42.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$2.53 ₪8.02
-9.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺60.8
$1.92 ₪6.09
-36.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.0
$1.86 ₪5.87
-3.23%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.75
$0.99 ₪3.15
-30.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.09
$0.99 ₪3.14
-35.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺67.8
$1.61 ₪5.08
-15.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.88
$0.99 ₪3.13
-41.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$9.68 ₪30.62
-75.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺652
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺43.97
$1.64 ₪5.17
-46.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,309
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.3
$6.50 ₪20.57
-80.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.70
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺555
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺73.9
$2.68 ₪8.47
-44.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$52.9K ₪167.3K
-8.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$45.9K ₪145.2K
-8.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,639
$86.3 ₪273
7.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺560
$38.47 ₪122
-70.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺795
$64.6 ₪204
-75.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,737
$79.6 ₪252
-6.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,149
$38.05 ₪120
-39.68%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺403
$11.05 ₪34.97
-27.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.5K
$259 ₪818
266.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.8M
$3,788 ₪12.0K
874.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,696
$48.24 ₪153
11.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,076
$69.8 ₪221
-40.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,049
$110 ₪347
-7.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,570
$62.9 ₪199
45.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.7K
$284 ₪898
257.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$222 ₪701
181.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.4K
$1,113 ₪3,520
80.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.3K
$1,623 ₪5,134
-30.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.5K
$848 ₪2,684
252.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.6K
$646 ₪2,044
167.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Nablus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺56.9K
$730 ₪2,310
55.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
6.3
541.59%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nablus: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Nablus
$222 64.5% $403
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Nablus
$275 * 6.6% $17
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Nablus
$167 24.5% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Nablus
$131 1% $1.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Nablus
$189 58% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Nablus
$102 12% $11
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Nablus
$13 * 82.7% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $284 in Nablus. 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 56% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $37 in Nablus. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $275 in Nablus – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇵🇸 Nablus
🕒 Local time
05:17 5:17 AM
04:17 4:17 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
130,326
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.16 ILS (1 ILS = 0.316 USD). 1 EUR = 3.55 ILS (1 ILS = 0.282 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Nablus 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Nablus

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 Nablus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nablus cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,648 in Nablus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nablus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Nablus?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $37 in Nablus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Nablus?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Nablus?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nablus, where all-in costs run around $1,098, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Nablus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Nablus more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nablus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nablus. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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