Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sidon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidon: $1,006 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Sidon
Learn more

Sidon Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Sidon

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sidon

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,006 in Sidon, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Sidon $1,006

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,623 in Sidon, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Sidon $1,623

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,240 in Sidon, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Sidon $2,240

Istanbul costs about 51% more than Sidon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Sidon is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$15.29 LBP 1.4M

-22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,747

$68.5 LBP 6.1M

-19.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$10.11 LBP 905.0K

-8.41%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$4.88 LBP 436.8K

-11.89%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$2.30 LBP 205.6K

-23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.25

$0.80 LBP 71.3K

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$5.03 LBP 450.2K

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$4.67 LBP 417.9K

52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$2.00 LBP 178.9K

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.05

$0.84 LBP 75.0K

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.19 LBP 196.4K

0.46%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.52 LBP 315.4K

-30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$11.13 LBP 996.1K

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$9.93 LBP 889.1K

-46.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$14.67 LBP 1.3M

43.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.8

$3.14 LBP 281.0K

-40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.64 LBP 147.1K

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

-23.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.9

$1.47 LBP 131.6K

22.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.74

$1.20 LBP 107.1K

-42.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.08

$1.54 LBP 138.2K

-58.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.16 LBP 103.4K

17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.87

$0.67 LBP 59.8K

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.97 LBP 265.7K

-21.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$10.79 LBP 965.3K

20.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.32 LBP 118.1K

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.47 LBP 221.5K

34.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,307

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$5.02 LBP 449.6K

-74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.69

$2.26 LBP 202.3K

-62.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$22.54 LBP 2.0M

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.8

$1.11 LBP 99.1K

33.33%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$53.5K LBP 4.8B

-9.04%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

28.76%

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

$92.7 ₺4,638

$211 LBP 18.9M

-56.13%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$23.89 LBP 2.1M

-53.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$37.86 LBP 3.4M

-58.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,736

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$9.83 LBP 880.1K

-18.11%

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

$948 ₺47.4K

$676 LBP 60.5M

40.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$12.6K LBP 1.1B

192.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,695

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,075

$49.12 LBP 4.4M

-15.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,047

$139 LBP 12.4M

-27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,568

$118 LBP 10.6M

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

267.45%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sidon: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Sidon

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Sidon

$270 26.9% 4.6% $12

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Sidon

$258 25.7% 16.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Sidon

$169 16.8% 30.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sidon

$273 27.1% 128% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Sidon

$20 * 2% 78.3% $71

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Sidon

$16 * 1.6% 78.3% $59

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 in Istanbul versus $69 in Sidon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $270 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇧 Sidon

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

163,554

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,573 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sidon 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sidon

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 Sidon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,509 in Sidon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $69 in Sidon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sidon, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Sidon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,006 in Sidon to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.