Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Port Said

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Said: $413 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Port Said, Egypt
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Port Said
🇪🇬 Egypt
$413
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Port Said

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $413 in Port Said, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Port Said $413

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $681 in Port Said, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Port Said $681

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $949 in Port Said, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Port Said $949

Istanbul costs about 267% more than Port Said, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Port Said is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$3.52 E£189
235.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,753
$17.76 E£955
209.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺464
$4.55 E£245
103.52%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$1.22 E£65.6
252.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$0.28 E£14.87
532.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.31
$0.11 E£6.02
409.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$1.21 E£64.9
287.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$2.60 E£140
173.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$0.74 E£39.86
68.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.15
$0.63 E£34.06
39.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$0.60 E£32.25
266.67%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$1.07 E£57.3
127.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺525
$3.57 E£192
193.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺266
$3.62 E£195
46.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$7.70 E£414
174.03%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.0
$1.42 E£76.2
30.99%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$0.68 E£36.61
238.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺60.9
$0.47 E£25.23
159.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.1
$0.28 E£15.10
542.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.81
$0.21 E£11.12
228.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.15
$0.30 E£16.30
113.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺67.9
$0.23 E£12.32
491.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.93
$0.20 E£10.82
190.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$1.80 E£96.6
30.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$5.35 E£288
143.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.16 E£62.3
103.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$2.08 E£112
59.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.05
$0.16 E£8.86
450.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,315
$2.19 E£118
2919.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$0.26 E£13.83
392.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.78
$0.16 E£8.47
431.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$1.12 E£60.2
890.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.28 E£15.24
428.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$31.3K E£1.7M
55.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$23.8K E£1.3M
76.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,648
$13.04 E£701
610.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺561
$6.50 E£349
72.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$6.50 E£349
144.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,744
$15.27 E£821
389.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$2.65 E£143
203.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.5K
$32.21 E£1,732
2844.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$526 E£28.3K
6912.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,701
$30.78 E£1,655
75.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,080
$42.01 E£2,259
-1.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,058
$120 E£6,457
-15.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,578
$53.3 E£2,864
71.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$125 E£6,730
709.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$70.9 E£3,811
781.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.5K
$240 E£12.9K
734.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.4K
$137 E£7,365
722.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$701 E£37.7K
326.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.7K
$324 E£17.4K
433.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Port Said
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
$178 E£9,585
537.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
21.33
89.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Port Said: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Port Said
$71 88.7% $554
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Port Said
$112 56.7% $146
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Port Said
$69 68.6% $152
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Port Said
$111 14.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Port Said
$26 78.3% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Port Said
$21 77.3% $70
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Port Said
$3.9 94.8% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $125 in Port Said. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $18 in Port Said. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $112 – making Port Said the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇪🇬 Port Said
🕒 Local time
06:14 6:14 AM
05:14 5:14 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
538,378
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 50.13 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.03 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 53.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.09 EGP (100 EGP = 1.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Port Said 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Port Said

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 Port Said: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Said cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 267%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $620 in Port Said. 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 Port Said, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $125 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $32 in Port Said. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Port Said?
Groceries cost about 131% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Port Said?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Said, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Port Said it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Port Said more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Port Said – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Port Said?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Port Said. 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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