Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sharm El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $448 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $448 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Sharm El Sheikh $448

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $693 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Sharm El Sheikh $693

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $939 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Sharm El Sheikh $939

Istanbul costs about 239% more than Sharm El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Sharm El Sheikh is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$21.98 E£1,184

149.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$4.63 E£250

100.00%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.18 E£117

97.25%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.31 E£16.94

470.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.57 E£30.51

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.54 E£191

32.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$4.63 E£249

53.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$0.83 E£44.85

50.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$0.47 E£25.23

368.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.11 E£59.9

118.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.51 E£189

51.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.46 E£78.7

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.47 E£25.11

389.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.44 E£23.53

177.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.28 E£15.26

542.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.02 E£109

15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.42 E£76.5

66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.10 E£5.42

780.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.43 E£23.41

244.19%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$31.1K E£1.7M

56.28%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$20.7K E£1.1M

102.87%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.27 E£607

-0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$27.97 E£1,506

-43.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$348 E£18.7K

191.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$285 E£15.3K

119.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$596 E£32.1K

236.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$527 E£28.4K

113.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$966 E£52.0K

209.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$669 E£36.0K

158.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$143 E£7,706

694.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

26.5

52.53%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $348 in Sharm El Sheikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 7.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $22 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $53 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

38,478

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 EGP = 1.86 USD

100 EGP = 1.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.48 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sharm El Sheikh 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 239%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $672 in Sharm El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 391% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $22 in Sharm El Sheikh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $448, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Sharm El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sharm El Sheikh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $448 in Sharm El Sheikh to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sharm El Sheikh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.