Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Niamey

For one person, living is cheaper in Niamey: $1,338 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
Learn more

Niamey Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Niamey

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,338 in Niamey, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Niamey $1,338

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,732 in Niamey, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Niamey $1,732

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,125 in Niamey, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Niamey $2,125

Istanbul costs about 14% more than Niamey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Niamey sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Niamey by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$6.54 F CFA 3,829

81.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$38.86 F CFA 22.7K

41.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.68 F CFA 5,665

-5.58%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.10 F CFA 1,815

36.77%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.47 F CFA 858

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.95 F CFA 555

-43.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.34 F CFA 781

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.95 F CFA 1,727

102.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.48 F CFA 1,453

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.57 F CFA 336

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.68 F CFA 982

37.50%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.18 F CFA 1,276

13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.95 F CFA 3,480

-5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$7.61 F CFA 4,453

178.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.57 F CFA 2,088

-45.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.61 F CFA 941

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.82 F CFA 1,649

-54.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.66 F CFA 971

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.46 F CFA 855

-54.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.70 F CFA 412

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.89 F CFA 521

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.07 F CFA 626

-44.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.62 F CFA 1,536

-9.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$13.94 F CFA 8,158

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.37 F CFA 801

76.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.43 F CFA 2,006

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.37 F CFA 214

124.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.45 F CFA 264

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.36 F CFA 213

136.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$8.81 F CFA 5,155

23.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.93 F CFA 545

58.06%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$20.8K F CFA 12.2M

147.95%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$24.4K F CFA 14.3M

82.28%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$171 F CFA 99.9K

-47.75%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

-33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$88.1 F CFA 51.6K

-81.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$75.6 F CFA 44.2K

2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.17 F CFA 3,027

61.32%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$1,044 F CFA 610.9K

-6.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$4,311 F CFA 2.5M

497.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$70.6 F CFA 41.3K

-25.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$87.9 F CFA 51.4K

-55.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$52.5 F CFA 30.7K

96.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$68.9 F CFA 40.3K

40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$958 F CFA 560.6K

3.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$526 F CFA 307.7K

19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$802 F CFA 469.1K

152.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$428 F CFA 250.2K

170.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,754 F CFA 1.0M

80.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$982 F CFA 574.7K

87.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$400 F CFA 233.8K

201.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

356.56%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Niamey: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Niamey

$526 38.4% 16.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Niamey

$209 * 15.3% 20.7% $55

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Niamey

$141 10.3% 35.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Niamey

$126 9.2% 4% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Niamey

$276 20.2% 136% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Niamey

$86 6.3% 8.5% $8

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Niamey

$3.7 * 0.3% 95.1% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $958 in Niamey. 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 201% 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 $39.00 in Niamey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $209 – making Niamey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇪 Niamey

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,026,848 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Niamey 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Niamey

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 Niamey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,008 in Niamey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Niamey, 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 $39.00 in Niamey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Niamey, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Niamey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Niamey – 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 Niamey. 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.