Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,728 in Solothurn, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Solothurn

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,728 in Solothurn, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Solothurn $2,728

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,408 in Solothurn, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Solothurn $4,408

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,088 in Solothurn, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Solothurn $6,088

Istanbul is about 43% cheaper than Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Solothurn sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Solothurn by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$30.10 CHF 24.79

-59.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$143 CHF 118

-61.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-49.73%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.40 CHF 5.27

-31.25%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-69.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$5.11 CHF 4.21

-88.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.42 CHF 5.28

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.95 CHF 4.90

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.71 CHF 3.05

-76.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.42 CHF 2.81

-35.96%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$8.35 CHF 6.88

-71.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.38 CHF 18.43

-53.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$26.23 CHF 21.61

-78.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$62.0 CHF 51.1

-66.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.80 CHF 2.30

-32.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.40 CHF 1.16

65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.46 CHF 2.85

-63.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.31 CHF 3.55

-58.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.63 CHF 1.34

-60.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.74 CHF 1.44

-63.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.60 CHF 1.32

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.95 CHF 0.78

-41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.83 CHF 8.92

-78.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.82 CHF 11.38

-2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.76 CHF 2.27

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.04 CHF 2.50

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.77 CHF 3.93

-81.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$8.21 CHF 6.76

-84.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.66 CHF 3.84

-80.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$87.2 CHF 71.8

-87.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-34.96%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K CHF 24.6K

69.73%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

24.23%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$96.7 CHF 79.6

-8.32%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$30.46 CHF 25.09

-61.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$54.5 CHF 44.86

-70.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$90.0 CHF 74.2

-14.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.71 CHF 13.76

36.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$17.70 CHF 14.57

-54.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$3,585 CHF 2,952

-71.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$19.6K CHF 16.1K

30.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$142 CHF 117

-61.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$42.66 CHF 35.14

-4.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$162 CHF 134

-39.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$251 CHF 206

-61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,132 CHF 933

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,020 CHF 840

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,823 CHF 1,501

8.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,760 CHF 1,449

-32.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$9,738 CHF 8,021

-67.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$4,850 CHF 3,994

-63.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$6,725 CHF 5,538

-82.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.07

1876.81%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Solothurn

$1K 37.4% 57% $371

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Solothurn

$622 22.8% 140% $362

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Solothurn

$459 16.8% 106% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Solothurn

$269 9.9% 106% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Solothurn

$182 6.7% 56.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Solothurn

$125 4.6% 34.2% $32

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Solothurn

$51 * 1.9% 34.2% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,132 in Solothurn. 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 458% higher in Solothurn, 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 $143 in Solothurn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $622 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

16,599

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Solothurn 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Solothurn

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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Solothurn is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,091 in Solothurn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $143 in Solothurn. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Solothurn, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Solothurn at $2,728. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Solothurn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Solothurn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.