Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ouagadougou

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouagadougou: $1,164 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ouagadougou
Learn more

Ouagadougou Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Ouagadougou

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

$1,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ouagadougou

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,164 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Ouagadougou $1,164

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,917 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Ouagadougou $1,917

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,669 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Ouagadougou $2,669

Istanbul costs about 31% more than Ouagadougou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Ouagadougou is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$7.38 F CFA 4,317

60.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$25.33 F CFA 14.8K

117.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$7.12 F CFA 4,167

28.37%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.97 F CFA 1,152

115.23%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.06 F CFA 623

65.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.10 F CFA 644

-50.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.21 F CFA 708

287.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.61 F CFA 1,528

128.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.05 F CFA 1,198

-38.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.14 F CFA 665

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.84 F CFA 491

175.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.59 F CFA 1,517

-4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$17.20 F CFA 10.1K

-38.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$20.26 F CFA 11.9K

-72.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.76 F CFA 8,638

43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$4.58 F CFA 2,679

-57.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.34 F CFA 1,957

-61.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$3.93 F CFA 2,301

-53.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.60 F CFA 939

-58.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.67 F CFA 977

-64.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.31 F CFA 765

1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.29 F CFA 756

-54.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$1.37 F CFA 801

72.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.96 F CFA 3,487

126.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.39 F CFA 813

74.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.54 F CFA 1,485

39.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.15 F CFA 87.9

453.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.49 F CFA 284

175.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.85 F CFA 494

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$8.32 F CFA 4,870

30.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.41 F CFA 826

4.26%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$36.8K F CFA 21.5M

40.16%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$30.9K F CFA 18.1M

43.89%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$181 F CFA 105.6K

-50.58%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$25.90 F CFA 15.2K

-55.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$53.5 F CFA 31.3K

-69.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$59.8 F CFA 35.0K

29.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$8.33 F CFA 4,875

172.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.02 F CFA 4,109

18.80%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$34.66 F CFA 20.3K

2709.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,978 F CFA 3.5M

331.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$34.51 F CFA 20.2K

52.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$52.2 F CFA 30.5K

-25.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$84.5 F CFA 49.4K

22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$101 F CFA 59.1K

-4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$338 F CFA 197.9K

193.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$227 F CFA 133.0K

176.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,317 F CFA 770.5K

53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$728 F CFA 425.7K

58.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$842 F CFA 492.8K

275.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$252 F CFA 147.2K

630.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$588 F CFA 344.3K

104.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

242.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Ouagadougou

$227 19.5% 63.9% $402

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Ouagadougou

$352 * 30.2% 33.2% $88

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Ouagadougou

$124 10.7% 43.1% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Ouagadougou

$123 10.5% 6.7% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Ouagadougou

$260 22.3% 122% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Ouagadougou

$74 6.3% 21.4% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Ouagadougou

$5.3 * 0.5% 93% $70

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 $338 in Ouagadougou. 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 105% 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 $25.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $352 in Ouagadougou – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,915,102 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ouagadougou 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ouagadougou

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,747 in Ouagadougou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouagadougou, 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 $25.00 in Ouagadougou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouagadougou, where all-in costs run around $1,164, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Ouagadougou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ouagadougou – 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 Ouagadougou. 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.