Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $778 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sousse
Learn more

Sousse Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Sousse

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sousse

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $778 in Sousse, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Sousse $778

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,256 in Sousse, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Sousse $1,256

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,733 in Sousse, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Sousse $1,733

Istanbul costs about 96% more than Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Sousse is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$4.94 TND 14.77

140.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$23.57 TND 70.4

133.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$6.76 TND 20.20

35.21%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.05 TND 3.12

303.81%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.75 TND 2.24

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.37 TND 1.12

45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.71 TND 5.10

174.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.65 TND 4.93

261.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.45 TND 1.34

180.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.15 TND 0.46

533.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.28 TND 3.83

80.47%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.66 TND 4.96

48.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$13.80 TND 41.23

-23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.64 TND 16.85

-0.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.21 TND 42.45

49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.05 TND 6.14

-5.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.57 TND 10.66

-35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.98 TND 2.93

30.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.70 TND 2.09

162.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.86 TND 2.58

-22.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.68 TND 2.03

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.43 TND 1.29

209.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.30 TND 0.90

96.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.75 TND 11.21

-37.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$5.98 TND 17.88

125.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.08 TND 3.23

124.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.17 TND 3.50

202.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.34 TND 1.03

144.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$9.92 TND 29.65

569.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.31 TND 0.94

335.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.64 TND 1.92

32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$3.98 TND 11.90

172.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.87 TND 2.59

68.97%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$40.0K TND 119.6K

29.00%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$36.8K TND 110.0K

20.75%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$75.6 TND 226

17.98%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$13.63 TND 40.72

-14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$19.75 TND 59.0

-18.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$28.30 TND 84.6

172.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$26.72 TND 79.8

-15.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.45 TND 19.27

29.30%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$93.4 TND 279

942.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,224 TND 9,635

699.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$51.5 TND 154

2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$71.4 TND 213

-45.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$150 TND 450

-31.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$101 TND 301

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$243 TND 727

308.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$159 TND 476

294.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$524 TND 1,565

286.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$341 TND 1,019

238.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$992 TND 2,963

218.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$635 TND 1,896

189.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$381 TND 1,138

215.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

11.4

260.44%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Sousse

$159 20.5% 74.7% $470

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Sousse

$198 25.4% 25% $66

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Sousse

$89 11.4% 59.3% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Sousse

$168 21.6% 28.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sousse

$109 14% 6.8% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Sousse

$41 5.3% 56.1% $53

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Sousse

$15 1.9% 80.3% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $243 in Sousse. 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 216% 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 $24.00 in Sousse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $198 – making Sousse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Sousse

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

221,530

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Sousse 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sousse

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 Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,168 in Sousse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $93.4 in Sousse. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sousse, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Sousse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sousse – 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 Sousse. 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.