Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Shurugwi

For one person, living is cheaper in Shurugwi: $579 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Shurugwi
Learn more

Shurugwi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Shurugwi

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Shurugwi

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $579 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Shurugwi $579

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $949 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Shurugwi $949

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,320 in Shurugwi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Shurugwi $1,320

Istanbul costs about 168% more than Shurugwi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Shurugwi is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.11 ZWL 269

21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$39.64 ZWL 1,055

37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.80 ZWL 154

58.97%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.69 ZWL 45.06

160.36%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.97 ZWL 25.82

73.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.48 ZWL 12.79

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.28 ZWL 33.94

267.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.06 ZWL 54.7

186.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.48 ZWL 39.43

-18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.98 ZWL 26.00

-9.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.67 ZWL 44.40

31.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

21.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.52 ZWL 307

-9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.30 ZWL 141

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$6.34 ZWL 169

230.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.07 ZWL 81.8

-38.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.65 ZWL 44.01

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.01 ZWL 53.4

-36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.51 ZWL 40.30

19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.67 ZWL 44.46

-61.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.80 ZWL 47.97

-64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.22 ZWL 32.55

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.99 ZWL 26.31

-43.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.95 ZWL 51.8

21.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.20 ZWL 218

63.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.38 ZWL 36.77

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

76.65%

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

$3.94 ZWL 105

-67.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

-53.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.04 ZWL 134

117.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.84 ZWL 48.95

-20.11%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$22.1K ZWL 587.6K

129.98%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.8K ZWL 738.7K

60.41%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$52.0 ZWL 1,383

70.47%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.89 ZWL 582

-47.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$68.3 ZWL 1,818

-76.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.97 ZWL 265

-18.36%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$429 ZWL 11.4K

134.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,436 ZWL 224.5K

203.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$23.20 ZWL 617

132.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$21.19 ZWL 564

92.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$38.89 ZWL 1,035

154.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$39.82 ZWL 1,060

142.59%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

13.69

198.90%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shurugwi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Shurugwi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Shurugwi

$213 36.7% 18.1% $47

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Shurugwi

$135 23.3% 39.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Shurugwi

$55 9.6% 57.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Shurugwi

$142 24.6% 22.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Shurugwi

$20 * 3.5% 78.7% $74

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Shurugwi

$14 * 2.4% 82% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $40.00 in Shurugwi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $213 – making Shurugwi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇿🇼 Shurugwi

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

16,866

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Shurugwi 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Shurugwi

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 Shurugwi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 168%, 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 $868 in Shurugwi. 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 Shurugwi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shurugwi, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Shurugwi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shurugwi – 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 Shurugwi. 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.