Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Saint Sampson

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,283 in Saint Sampson, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Saint Sampson outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Saint Sampson

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$2,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,283 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Saint Sampson $2,283

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,674 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Saint Sampson $1,674

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,066 in Saint Sampson, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Saint Sampson $1,066

Istanbul is about 33% cheaper than Saint Sampson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Saint Sampson sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Saint Sampson by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$14.52 GGP 10.99

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$78.4 GGP 59.3

-29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.16 GGP 6.94

-0.22%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.00 GGP 1.51

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.29 GGP 0.97

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.63 GGP 1.24

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.63 GGP 1.23

-49.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$39.46 GGP 29.87

-72.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.22 GGP 1.68

-33.78%

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

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$90.9 GGP 68.8

-15.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$84.5 GGP 64.0

22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,958 GGP 1,482

-49.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,957 GGP 1,482

-67.84%

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

$2,898 GGP 2,194

-58.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

721.80%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Saint Sampson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Saint Sampson

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Saint Sampson

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Saint Sampson

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Saint Sampson

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Saint Sampson

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Saint Sampson

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Saint Sampson

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,958 in Saint Sampson. 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 141% higher in Saint Sampson, 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 $78.0 in Saint Sampson. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $16.00 in Saint Sampson – so Saint Sampson wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇬🇬 Saint Sampson

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

12:27 12:27 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

8,966

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Guernsey Pound GGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GGP, 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).

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

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Saint Sampson 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Saint Sampson

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 Sampson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Sampson costs about 50% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $3,424 in Saint Sampson. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1517% cheaper in Saint Sampson – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $78.0 in Saint Sampson. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Saint Sampson at $2,283. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Sampson 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 Sampson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.