Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Skikda

For one person, living is cheaper in Skikda: $540 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Skikda
Learn more

Skikda Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Skikda

🇩🇿 Algeria

$540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Skikda

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $540 in Skikda, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Skikda $540

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $881 in Skikda, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Skikda $881

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,223 in Skikda, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Skikda $1,223

Istanbul costs about 187% more than Skikda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Skikda is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.19 DZD 428

285.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$19.38 DZD 2,595

182.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.97 DZD 532

132.24%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.63 DZD 84.1

598.41%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.38 DZD 51.4

342.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.28 DZD 38.03

110.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.44 DZD 192

226.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.04 DZD 273

189.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.95 DZD 128

27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.16 DZD 21.35

456.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.61 DZD 215

36.02%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.19 DZD 160

97.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.96 DZD 1,066

30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.35 DZD 582

29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.98 DZD 1,738

61.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.10 DZD 281

-9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.71 DZD 363

-14.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.12 DZD 150

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.07 DZD 143

68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.52 DZD 70.2

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.49 DZD 65.4

30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.41 DZD 55.3

204.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.25 DZD 33.23

124.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.62 DZD 351

-9.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.31 DZD 979

83.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.28 DZD 171

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.70 DZD 228

104.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.17 DZD 22.79

423.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.45 DZD 998

805.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.92 DZD 124

40.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.45 DZD 60.1

104.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.49 DZD 735

99.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.34 DZD 44.86

332.35%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.8K DZD 4.4M

54.85%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.4K DZD 3.9M

51.70%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$36.77 DZD 4,923

140.98%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.27 DZD 1,375

12.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$15.97 DZD 2,138

-1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$17.85 DZD 2,390

332.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.31 DZD 577

88.86%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$340 DZD 45.5K

196.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,091 DZD 547.6K

524.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$31.59 DZD 4,230

70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.97 DZD 4,547

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$74.5 DZD 9,970

32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$111 DZD 14.8K

-12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$146 DZD 19.5K

575.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$92.1 DZD 12.3K

605.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$271 DZD 36.3K

631.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$199 DZD 26.6K

493.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$955 DZD 127.9K

228.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,041 DZD 139.4K

70.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$271 DZD 36.3K

344.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.3

672.08%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skikda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Skikda

$92 17.1% 85.8% $558

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Skikda

$175 32.5% 32.6% $85

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Skikda

$59 10.9% 73.6% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Skikda

$113 20.9% 13.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Skikda

$63 11.7% 45.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Skikda

$26 4.9% 71.7% $67

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Skikda

$11 2.1% 85.3% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $146 in Skikda. 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 344% higher in Istanbul, 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 $19.00 in Skikda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $175 – making Skikda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Skikda

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

163,618

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Skikda 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Skikda

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 Skikda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 187%, 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 $809 in Skikda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skikda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $340 in Skikda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 Skikda, where all-in costs run around $540, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Skikda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skikda – 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 Skikda. 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.