Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Setif

For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $407 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Setif
Learn more

Setif Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Setif

🇩🇿 Algeria

$407

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Setif

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $407 in Setif, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Setif $407

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $677 in Setif, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Setif $677

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $946 in Setif, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Setif $946

Istanbul costs about 280% more than Setif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Setif is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

$3.14 DZD 420

291.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,700

$15.71 DZD 2,103

248.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$3.49 DZD 467

164.18%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

$0.58 DZD 77.6

658.62%

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

$0.60 DZD 79.8

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.22 DZD 28.92

168.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$1.44 DZD 192

226.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.11 DZD 282

180.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

$0.67 DZD 89.6

80.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.97

$0.12 DZD 16.26

641.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.05 DZD 141

108.57%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$0.83 DZD 111

183.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

$6.45 DZD 863

61.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$3.92 DZD 525

44.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

$14.18 DZD 1,898

47.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

$2.09 DZD 279

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.82 DZD 377

-18.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$1.06 DZD 142

20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.7

$0.80 DZD 107

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.07

$0.52 DZD 69.5

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.82

$0.46 DZD 61.5

39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

$0.41 DZD 54.3

204.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.50

$0.17 DZD 22.27

229.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$2.72 DZD 365

-12.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

$5.20 DZD 695

158.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.23 DZD 165

95.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.86 DZD 249

87.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.71

$0.12 DZD 15.68

641.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,328

$5.60 DZD 750

1104.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$0.57 DZD 76.9

126.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.56

$0.40 DZD 53.0

130.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$4.87 DZD 652

125.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

$0.33 DZD 43.65

345.45%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$27.4K DZD 3.7M

85.58%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$20.4K DZD 2.7M

118.50%

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

$88.6 ₺4,374

$34.14 DZD 4,570

159.55%

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

$11.59 ₺572

$9.43 DZD 1,262

22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$12.21 DZD 1,634

29.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,809

$17.30 DZD 2,316

346.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,122

$5.49 DZD 735

314.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$4.40 DZD 589

85.00%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$553 DZD 74.1K

82.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,406 DZD 857.5K

299.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,663

$16.53 DZD 2,213

226.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,015

$15.00 DZD 2,008

172.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,881

$33.96 DZD 4,545

191.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,768

$56.2 DZD 7,522

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$66.0 DZD 8,839

1391.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$46.16 DZD 6,179

1307.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.9K

$130 DZD 17.3K

1430.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.3K

$114 DZD 15.3K

934.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.9K

$340 DZD 45.4K

824.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

$295 DZD 39.5K

308.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.3

672.08%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Setif: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Setif

$46 11.3% 92.9% $604

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Setif

$159 39% 38.8% $101

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Setif

$57 14% 74.4% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Setif

$55 13.4% 58.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Setif

$56 13.7% 51.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Setif

$26 6.4% 72.1% $67

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Setif

$8.6 2.1% 88.8% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $66.0 in Setif. 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 309% higher in Istanbul, 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 $16.00 in Setif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $159 – making Setif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Setif

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

288,461

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.1 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 149 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Setif 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Setif

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 Setif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 280%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $611 in Setif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $553 in Setif. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Setif, where all-in costs run around $407, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Setif it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Setif – 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 Setif. 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.