Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $987 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
Learn more

Port Shepstone Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $987 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Port Shepstone $987

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,540 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Port Shepstone $1,540

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,093 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Port Shepstone $2,093

Istanbul costs about 57% more than Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Port Shepstone is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$7.76 R 128

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$38.69 R 637

41.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.93 R 97.8

55.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.71 R 44.60

62.36%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.09 R 17.89

54.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.85 R 13.94

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.34 R 38.48

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.52 R 41.57

134.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.93 R 15.28

30.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.70 R 11.57

27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.17 R 19.29

87.18%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.45 R 23.93

62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.07 R 117

47.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.68 R 60.6

53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.07 R 117

196.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.17 R 19.33

62.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.75 R 12.43

208.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.63 R 10.36

103.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.47 R 24.20

22.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.58 R 9.50

12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.37 R 22.63

-53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.87 R 14.36

43.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 R 9.41

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.69 R 60.8

-35.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.80 R 79.1

179.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.45 R 23.94

65.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.84 R 30.31

89.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.46 R 24.12

-39.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.43 R 7.12

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.71 R 11.76

29.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.39 R 122

48.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.29 R 21.19

13.95%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.9K R 575.6K

45.37%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.1K R 512.1K

43.26%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$121 R 1,994

-26.80%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.86 R 294

-35.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$36.27 R 598

-56.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$31.48 R 519

145.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$10.72 R 177

112.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.30 R 120

11.51%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$305 R 5,028

230.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,610 R 125.4K

235.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$53.7 R 885

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$30.34 R 500

34.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$96.7 R 1,594

2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$82.3 R 1,355

17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$386 R 6,355

155.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$358 R 5,893

81.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$734 R 12.1K

170.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$715 R 11.8K

65.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$884 R 14.6K

255.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$666 R 11.0K

167.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,023 R 49.8K

-60.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

11.78

247.37%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Port Shepstone

$358 36.2% 45% $292

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Port Shepstone

$143 14.5% 44.8% $116

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Port Shepstone

$137 13.9% 38.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Port Shepstone

$118 12% 9.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Port Shepstone

$175 17.8% 51% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Port Shepstone

$46 4.7% 50.7% $47

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Port Shepstone

$9.9 * 1% 87.2% $67

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 $386 in Port Shepstone. 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 151% higher in Port Shepstone, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $143 – making Port Shepstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

10:44 10:44 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

52,793

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Port Shepstone 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Port Shepstone

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 Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,481 in Port Shepstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 81% 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 Port Shepstone, where all-in costs run around $987, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Port Shepstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Shepstone – 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 Port Shepstone. 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.