Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Salalah

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,059 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
Learn more

Salalah Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Salalah

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,059 in Salalah, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Salalah $1,059

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,599 in Salalah, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Salalah $1,599

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,138 in Salalah, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Salalah $2,138

Istanbul costs about 44% more than Salalah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Salalah is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$5.31 OMR 2.05

123.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$26.43 OMR 10.17

108.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$12.97 OMR 4.99

-29.53%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$6.09 OMR 2.34

-30.38%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.90 OMR 0.35

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.25 OMR 0.10

116.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$9.33 OMR 3.59

-49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$10.30 OMR 3.96

-42.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.93 OMR 0.74

-34.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.23 OMR 0.47

-22.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.66 OMR 1.03

-13.16%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.82 OMR 0.70

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$4.58 OMR 1.76

130.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.62 OMR 1.78

21.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$6.61 OMR 2.55

220.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.91 OMR 0.74

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.87 OMR 0.72

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.12 OMR 0.82

-39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-1.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.52 OMR 0.59

-55.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.03 OMR 0.40

-42.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.04 OMR 0.40

27.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.48 OMR 0.18

22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$5.84 OMR 2.25

-59.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$19.73 OMR 7.60

-31.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$3.81 OMR 1.47

-36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$4.76 OMR 1.83

-25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.32 OMR 0.51

-37.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$55.3 OMR 21.27

20.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$2.31 OMR 0.89

-41.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.32 OMR 0.51

-35.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$11.49 OMR 4.42

-5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.61 OMR 0.23

140.98%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$20.8K OMR 8,004

148.31%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$18.3K OMR 7,048

142.81%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$78.1 OMR 30.07

14.22%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$49.55 OMR 19.08

-76.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$74.3 OMR 28.59

-78.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$39.58 OMR 15.24

95.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$26.22 OMR 10.10

-13.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.81 OMR 3.01

6.79%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$106 OMR 40.78

819.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,942 OMR 747

1227.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$28.74 OMR 11.06

83.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$30.76 OMR 11.84

27.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$57.8 OMR 22.23

78.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$46.20 OMR 17.79

109.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$251 OMR 96.5

296.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$205 OMR 79.0

206.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$642 OMR 247

215.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$382 OMR 147

201.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,981 OMR 763

59.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,240 OMR 477

48.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,771 OMR 682

-32.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.58

797.16%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Salalah: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Salalah

$205 19.3% 67.4% $424

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Salalah

$229 21.6% 13.1% $35

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Salalah

$226 21.3% 3.9% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Salalah

$74 6.9% 44% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Salalah

$202 19% 72.7% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Salalah

$55 5.2% 41.2% $39

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Salalah

$69 6.6% 7.8% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $251 in Salalah. 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 47% higher in Salalah, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $26.00 in Salalah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $229 – making Salalah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇴🇲 Salalah

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

178,469

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, 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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.431 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Salalah 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Salalah

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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,589 in Salalah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salalah, 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 $106 in Salalah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salalah, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Salalah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salalah – 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 Salalah. 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.