Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Saint-Denis

Name: Saint-Denis
Address: Saint-Denis, RE

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,800 in Saint-Denis, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Denis
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Saint-Denis Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Saint-Denis

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Saint-Denis

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 Saint-Denis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,800 in Saint-Denis, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Saint-Denis $1,800

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $3,171 in Saint-Denis, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Saint-Denis $3,171

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $4,543 in Saint-Denis, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Saint-Denis $4,543

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Saint-Denis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Saint-Denis sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Saint-Denis by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$13.56 €12.10

-12.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$79.0 €70.5

-30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$15.63 €13.95

-41.52%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.54 €3.16

19.77%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.58 €2.31

-32.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.50 €2.23

-78.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$3.44 €3.07

36.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.65 €4.15

28.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.70 €1.52

-25.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.96 €2.64

-21.96%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$4.51 €4.03

-45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$20.10 €17.94

-47.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$13.24 €11.81

-57.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$33.24 €29.66

-36.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$5.45 €4.87

-66.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$4.51 €4.02

-86.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.30 €2.05

-42.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.90 €1.70

-68.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$11.39 €10.17

-79.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$12.55 €11.20

7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$3.30 €2.94

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.41 €3.04

3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$2.54 €2.26

-67.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$43.40 €38.73

53.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.87 €1.67

-21.39%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$146 €130

-38.86%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$17.61 €15.72

-34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$43.07 €38.44

-62.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$36.35 €32.44

112.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$13.43 €11.98

68.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$11.11 €9.91

-24.93%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$148 €132

-64.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$125 €112

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$114 €102

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$918 €820

8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$657 €586

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,534 €1,369

31.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,951 €1,741

-40.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$2,054 €1,833

-41.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Saint-Denis: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Saint-Denis

$657 36.8% 4.4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Saint-Denis

$390 * 21.9% 47.7% $126

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Saint-Denis

$245 13.7% 12.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Saint-Denis

$174 * 9.8% 32.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Saint-Denis

$207 11.6% 76.7% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Saint-Denis

$59 3.3% 37.6% $35

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Saint-Denis

$54 * 3% 29% $22

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 $918 in Saint-Denis. 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 71% higher in Saint-Denis, 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 $79.0 in Saint-Denis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $390 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇪 Saint-Denis

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

154,765 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Saint-Denis 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Saint-Denis

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 Saint-Denis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint-Denis is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,699 in Saint-Denis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 53% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Saint-Denis, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Saint-Denis at $1,800. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint-Denis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint-Denis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.