Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Shinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Shinas: $958 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Shinas
Learn more

Shinas Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Shinas

🇴🇲 Oman

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Shinas

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $958 in Shinas, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Shinas $958

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,438 in Shinas, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Shinas $1,438

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,919 in Shinas, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Shinas $1,919

Istanbul costs about 62% more than Shinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Shinas is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.17 OMR 1.99

137.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$39.77 OMR 15.31

37.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.59 OMR 2.92

21.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$5.18 OMR 2.00

-15.06%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.85 OMR 0.33

97.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.29 OMR 0.11

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$13.23 OMR 5.09

-64.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$13.12 OMR 5.05

-54.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-46.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.22 OMR 0.47

-27.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.81 OMR 0.70

20.99%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.05 OMR 1.17

-22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.14 OMR 2.75

45.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.01 OMR 2.70

-19.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.72 OMR 4.13

95.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.58 OMR 1.38

-46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.04 OMR 0.78

13.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.32 OMR 0.89

-44.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.31 OMR 0.50

37.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.20 OMR 0.46

-45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.24 OMR 0.48

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.78 OMR 0.68

-29.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.66 OMR 0.25

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.68 OMR 2.57

-64.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$15.78 OMR 6.08

-14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$5.81 OMR 2.24

-58.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$10.26 OMR 3.95

-66.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.17 OMR 1.22

-59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.53 OMR 0.98

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$8.01 OMR 3.08

36.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.64 OMR 0.25

129.69%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$25.7K OMR 9,882

97.87%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$22.3K OMR 8,573

99.98%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$182 OMR 70.0

-51.28%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$31.15 OMR 11.99

-62.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$70.0 OMR 26.93

-77.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-22.25%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$291 OMR 112

246.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$10.5K OMR 4,050

142.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$55.6 OMR 21.42

-3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$43.53 OMR 16.76

-6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$88.7 OMR 34.15

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$86.2 OMR 33.20

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,108 OMR 1,196

-61.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.25

679.43%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shinas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Shinas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Shinas

$291 30.4% 12.1% $31

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Shinas

$223 23.3% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Shinas

$123 12.9% 5.6% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Shinas

$283 29.6% 144% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Shinas

$21 * 2.2% 77.6% $73

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Shinas

$16 * 1.7% 79.4% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 158% higher in Shinas, 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 $40.00 in Shinas. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $291 in Shinas – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇴🇲 Shinas

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

01:06 1:06 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

43,312

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Shinas 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Shinas

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 Shinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,436 in Shinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $40.00 in Shinas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shinas, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Shinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shinas – 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 Shinas. 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.