Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Saint-Louis

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Louis: $830 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Louis
Learn more

Saint-Louis Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Saint-Louis

🇸🇳 Senegal

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $830 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Saint-Louis $830

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,322 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Saint-Louis $1,322

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,815 in Saint-Louis, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Saint-Louis $1,815

Istanbul costs about 84% more than Saint-Louis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Saint-Louis is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.50 F CFA 2,047

239.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$52.7 F CFA 30.8K

4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.15 F CFA 6,522

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.35 F CFA 1,963

26.57%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.25 F CFA 729

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.87 F CFA 509

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.75 F CFA 1,026

168.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.37 F CFA 2,555

36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.49 F CFA 1,459

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.27 F CFA 159

251.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.68 F CFA 981

37.50%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.45 F CFA 1,432

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$17.14 F CFA 10.0K

-38.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$8.75 F CFA 5,122

-36.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.00 F CFA 6,438

92.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.12 F CFA 1,828

-38.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.95 F CFA 1,143

17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.86 F CFA 1,672

-55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.73 F CFA 1,011

6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.35 F CFA 788

-50.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.98 F CFA 574

-39.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.08 F CFA 630

23.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.70 F CFA 410

-15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.12 F CFA 1,242

11.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$16.91 F CFA 9,895

-20.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.53 F CFA 895

58.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.37 F CFA 1,970

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.89 F CFA 523

51.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.12 F CFA 1,243

-59.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$17.34 F CFA 10.1K

-37.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.70 F CFA 992

-13.53%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$50.9K F CFA 29.8M

1.45%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$48.6K F CFA 28.4M

-8.52%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$206 F CFA 120.8K

-56.78%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$11.46 F CFA 6,707

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$46.89 F CFA 27.4K

-65.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$8.64 F CFA 5,053

-3.47%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$320 F CFA 187.0K

204.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

147.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$58.8 F CFA 34.4K

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$45.28 F CFA 26.5K

-13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$85.6 F CFA 50.1K

20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$95.0 F CFA 55.6K

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$435 F CFA 254.5K

128.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

8.75

369.60%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Saint-Louis

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Saint-Louis

$287 34.3% 8.6% $23

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3% 41.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Saint-Louis

$128 15.3% 2.4% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Saint-Louis

$265 31.7% 127% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Saint-Louis

$17 * 2.1% 81.6% $77

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Saint-Louis

$12 * 1.4% 84.7% $64

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 $435 in Saint-Louis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $53.0 in Saint-Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $287 in Saint-Louis – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇳 Saint-Louis

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

176,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Saint-Louis 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Saint-Louis

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-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 84%, 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 $1,245 in Saint-Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Louis, 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 $53.0 in Saint-Louis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Louis, where all-in costs run around $830, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Saint-Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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