Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sfax

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $620 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Sfax
Learn more

Sfax Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Sfax

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sfax

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $620 in Sfax, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Sfax $620

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $975 in Sfax, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Sfax $975

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,329 in Sfax, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Sfax $1,329

Istanbul costs about 146% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Sfax is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.43 TND 10.24

246.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$19.82 TND 59.1

177.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.03 TND 15.02

81.71%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$0.71 TND 2.10

497.18%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.58 TND 1.73

201.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.27 TND 0.81

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.56 TND 4.66

200.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.02 TND 6.03

195.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.50 TND 1.49

152.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.24 TND 0.72

295.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.38 TND 4.12

67.39%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.56 TND 4.64

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$12.32 TND 36.76

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.76 TND 17.18

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$13.97 TND 41.70

51.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.77 TND 5.29

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.08 TND 9.18

-25.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.04 TND 3.11

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.68 TND 2.04

170.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.81 TND 2.42

-17.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.77 TND 2.29

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.58 TND 1.72

129.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.35 TND 1.03

68.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.87 TND 11.53

-39.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.51 TND 19.41

106.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.19 TND 3.56

103.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.04 TND 3.10

240.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.18 TND 0.55

361.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$9.98 TND 29.77

565.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.33 TND 1.00

309.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$0.34 TND 1.03

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$7.56 TND 22.56

43.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.83 TND 2.47

77.11%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$36.5K TND 109.0K

41.27%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$34.9K TND 104.2K

27.30%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$44.47 TND 133

100.63%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$9.43 TND 28.14

23.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$14.85 TND 44.31

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$27.37 TND 81.7

182.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$7.32 TND 21.85

209.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.46 TND 13.30

87.00%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$98.6 TND 294

887.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,470 TND 7,370

943.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$42.94 TND 128

22.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$36.43 TND 109

7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$114 TND 340

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$66.2 TND 198

45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$194 TND 579

412.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$135 TND 404

364.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$340 TND 1,013

496.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$217 TND 649

430.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,020 TND 3,043

209.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$745 TND 2,224

146.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$327 TND 976

267.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

13.6

202.13%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sfax: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Sfax

$135 21.5% 78.5% $494

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Sfax

$193 30.7% 26.8% $71

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Sfax

$66 10.5% 69.6% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Sfax

$117 18.6% 11% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sfax

$69 10.9% 41.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Sfax

$36 5.8% 61.4% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Sfax

$13 2% 83.1% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $194 in Sfax. 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 268% 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 $20.00 in Sfax. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $193 – making Sfax the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Sfax

🕒 Local time

13:20 1:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

955,421

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.98 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.34 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sfax 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sfax

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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 146%, 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 $931 in Sfax. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfax, 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 $98.6 in Sfax. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 Sfax, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Sfax it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sfax – 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 Sfax. 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.