Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Saint-Leu

Name: Saint-Leu
Address: Saint-Leu, RE

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Saint-Leu: $1,525 and $1,502 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,357 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Saint-Leu $2,357

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,213 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Saint-Leu $3,213

Istanbul costs about 2% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Saint-Leu sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Saint-Leu by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$28.24 €25.12

-57.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$89.2 €79.3

-35.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.83 €2.52

55.48%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$1.10 €0.98

-49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$7.88 €7.01

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$5.56 €4.95

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.10 €0.98

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$1.26 €1.12

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$2.17 €1.93

5.07%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$4.62 €4.11

-46.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$22.03 €19.60

-52.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.38 €3.00

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.66 €1.47

37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.27 €2.02

-43.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$3.40 €3.02

-46.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$2.25 €2.00

-70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$2.18 €1.94

-71.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.81 €0.72

-30.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$14.77 €13.13

-84.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$5.56 €4.95

133.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.64 €1.46

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.87 €1.66

-23.53%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$94.6 €84.1

-6.16%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$9.89 €8.80

18.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$34.06 €30.30

-52.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$33.81 €30.08

125.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$10.01 €8.91

-17.48%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,140 €1,014

-14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$785 €698

-20.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,981 €1,762

-0.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,353 €1,204

-15.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$2,039 €1,814

-40.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

917.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,140 in Saint-Leu. 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 68% higher in Saint-Leu, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $89.0 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Istanbul vs $210 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

34,893

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Saint-Leu 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 25% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul and $89.0 in Saint-Leu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Leu, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Saint-Leu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saint-Leu – 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 Saint-Leu. 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.