Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Nyamata

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyamata: $569 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Nyamata
Learn more

Nyamata Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Nyamata

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Nyamata

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $569 in Nyamata, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Nyamata $569

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $899 in Nyamata, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Nyamata $899

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,229 in Nyamata, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Nyamata $1,229

Istanbul costs about 172% more than Nyamata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Nyamata is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.75 RWF 4,048

347.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$11.79 RWF 17.3K

363.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.65 RWF 9,779

38.65%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.71 RWF 2,510

157.31%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.71 RWF 1,039

136.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.38 RWF 560

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.04 RWF 1,528

351.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.71 RWF 2,509

245.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.82 RWF 1,200

47.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.78 RWF 1,145

14.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.28 RWF 1,878

71.09%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.61 RWF 2,367

45.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.55 RWF 5,224

193.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.67 RWF 3,927

111.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$4.12 RWF 6,055

408.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.47 RWF 3,629

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.40 RWF 587

477.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.70 RWF 1,032

82.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.56 RWF 820

221.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.49 RWF 718

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.77 RWF 1,128

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.35 RWF 521

257.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.71 RWF 1,044

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.33 RWF 1,958

78.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.32 RWF 15.2K

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.03 RWF 1,512

133.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.58 RWF 2,326

120.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$30.74 RWF 45.2K

119.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.64 RWF 3,886

-51.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.00 RWF 2,945

-54.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.14 RWF 4,616

249.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.23 RWF 1,810

19.51%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.4K RWF 38.8M

92.25%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$23.8K RWF 35.0M

86.86%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$85.3 RWF 125.4K

3.87%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$7.19 RWF 10.6K

61.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$17.12 RWF 25.2K

-7.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$102 RWF 150.6K

-24.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.99 RWF 2,930

309.05%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$114 RWF 167.3K

785.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$9,358 RWF 13.8M

173.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.24 RWF 25.3K

212.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$15.65 RWF 23.0K

160.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

348.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$34.32 RWF 50.5K

181.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$100.0 RWF 147.0K

885.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$67.9 RWF 99.8K

857.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$343 RWF 503.9K

478.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$240 RWF 353.5K

390.83%

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

$180 RWF 264.8K

569.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

16.2

152.59%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nyamata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Nyamata

$68 11.9% 89.6% $582

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Nyamata

$126 22.2% 51.4% $134

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Nyamata

$75 13.3% 66.2% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Nyamata

$40 7.1% 69.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Nyamata

$110 19.3% 5.5% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Nyamata

$106 18.7% 13.9% $13

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Nyamata

$43 * 7.6% 43.5% $33

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 $100.0 in Nyamata. 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 569% 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 $12.00 in Nyamata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $126 – making Nyamata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇼 Nyamata

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

21,509

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RWF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,653 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Nyamata 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Nyamata

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 Nyamata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $853 in Nyamata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $114 in Nyamata. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% 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 Nyamata, where all-in costs run around $569, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Nyamata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nyamata – 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 Nyamata. 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.