Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,841 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sharjah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
Learn more

Sharjah Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sharjah

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,841 in Sharjah, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Sharjah $1,841

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,576 in Sharjah, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Sharjah $2,576

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,312 in Sharjah, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Sharjah $3,312

Istanbul is about 17% cheaper than Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Sharjah sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Sharjah by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$5.97 AED 21.92

98.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$32.91 AED 121

67.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$8.29 AED 30.45

10.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.82 AED 14.02

10.99%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.80 AED 2.93

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.29 AED 1.05

86.21%

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

$1.54 AED 5.64

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.19 AED 4.38

-20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.83 AED 6.71

26.23%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.21 AED 11.80

-23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$8.64 AED 31.73

22.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.63 AED 24.36

-15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.46 AED 42.09

85.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.27 AED 8.33

-14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.67 AED 6.12

37.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.30 AED 4.78

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.28 AED 4.72

43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.03 AED 3.79

-34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.12 AED 4.12

-47.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.43 AED 5.26

-6.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.61 AED 2.23

-3.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$6.31 AED 23.19

-62.60%

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

$2.16 AED 7.92

-61.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$27.07 AED 99.4

145.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.65 AED 13.42

-63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.52 AED 1.91

63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$12.07 AED 44.33

-10.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.94 AED 3.46

56.38%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$45.2K AED 166.0K

14.22%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

101.82%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$208 AED 766

-57.21%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$49.40 AED 181

-76.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$96.1 AED 353

-83.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$53.5 AED 196

44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$22.29 AED 81.9

1.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$13.54 AED 49.72

-38.40%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$325 AED 1,194

199.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,433 AED 31.0K

205.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$57.6 AED 212

-8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$78.0 AED 286

-49.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$109 AED 401

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$96.1 AED 353

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$823 AED 3,024

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$906 AED 3,329

-30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,797 AED 6,598

12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,402 AED 5,148

-17.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$8,241 AED 30.3K

-61.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,748 AED 10.1K

-33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$2,191 AED 8,045

-45.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.5

813.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Sharjah

$906 49% 44% $277

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Sharjah

$192 10.4% 27.2% $72

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Sharjah

$123 6.6% 43.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Sharjah

$153 8.3% 16.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sharjah

$354 19.1% 203% $237

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Sharjah

$81 4.4% 14.2% $13

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 44.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $823 in Sharjah. 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 82% higher in Sharjah, 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 $33.00 in Sharjah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $192 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

14:47 2:47 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sharjah 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharjah is pricier by about 21%, 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 $2,761 in Sharjah. 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.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $325 in Sharjah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 37% cheaper in Sharjah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Sharjah at $1,841. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah 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, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.