Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Saint Helier

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
Learn more

Saint Helier Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Saint Helier

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Saint Helier $3,351

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $5,022 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Saint Helier $5,022

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $6,693 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Saint Helier $6,693

Istanbul is about 54% cheaper than Saint Helier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Saint Helier sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Saint Helier by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$40.27 JEP 30.49

-70.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$118 JEP 89.3

-53.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$10.42 JEP 7.89

-12.28%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.71 JEP 3.57

-9.98%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$3.33 JEP 2.52

-47.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.45 JEP 1.85

-77.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$7.73 JEP 5.85

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.29 JEP 1.74

-44.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$2.70 JEP 2.04

-64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.76 JEP 2.85

-38.56%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-59.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.17 JEP 5.43

47.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$11.79 JEP 8.92

-52.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$18.11 JEP 13.71

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$4.27 JEP 3.23

-54.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.39 JEP 2.56

-32.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.24 JEP 3.21

-69.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.40 JEP 3.33

-58.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$3.18 JEP 2.41

-78.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$3.06 JEP 2.32

-80.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.81 JEP 1.37

-26.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$2.51 JEP 1.90

-76.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$19.58 JEP 14.82

-87.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.44 JEP 7.90

29.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$4.68 JEP 3.54

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$7.59 JEP 5.75

-53.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$3.25 JEP 2.46

-74.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$69.6 JEP 52.7

-4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$5.32 JEP 4.03

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.49 JEP 1.88

-65.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$53.2 JEP 40.27

-79.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.05 JEP 1.55

-28.29%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$26.3K JEP 19.9K

96.20%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$35.9K JEP 27.1K

23.96%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$318 JEP 241

-71.92%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$45.82 JEP 34.69

-74.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$72.2 JEP 54.7

-77.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$75.8 JEP 57.4

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$28.03 JEP 21.22

-19.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$20.18 JEP 15.28

-58.67%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$2,731 JEP 2,067

-64.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$12.0K JEP 9,051

115.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$103 JEP 77.8

-48.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$73.2 JEP 55.4

-46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$121 JEP 91.6

-14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$208 JEP 157

-53.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,816 JEP 1,375

-45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,587 JEP 1,201

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$3,324 JEP 2,516

-39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$2,554 JEP 1,933

-54.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$11.6K JEP 8,810

-72.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$10.2K JEP 7,685

-81.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$4,528 JEP 3,428

-73.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.08

907.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Saint Helier

$1.6K 47.1% 152% $957

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Saint Helier

$417 12.4% 58.1% $153

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Saint Helier

$484 14.4% 122% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Saint Helier

$227 6.8% 73.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Saint Helier

$436 12.9% 273% $319

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Saint Helier

$116 3.5% 23.7% $22

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Saint Helier

$100 3% 33.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,816 in Saint Helier. 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 276% higher in Saint Helier, 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 $118 in Saint Helier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $417 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

11:34 11:34 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

32,522 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 JEP = 1.32 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, 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).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 JEP (1 JEP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Saint Helier 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Saint Helier

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 Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Helier is pricier by about 120%, 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 $5,026 in Saint Helier. 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.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $2,731 in Saint Helier. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Saint Helier, 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 Helier at $3,351. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier 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 Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.