Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Stabio

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $3,425 in Stabio, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Stabio
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Stabio Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Stabio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Stabio

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $3,425 in Stabio, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Stabio $3,425

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $5,492 in Stabio, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Stabio $5,492

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $7,560 in Stabio, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Stabio $7,560

Istanbul is about 55% cheaper than Stabio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Stabio sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Stabio by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$34.94 CHF 28.78

-65.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$177 CHF 146

-67.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$19.37 CHF 15.95

-50.90%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.81 CHF 3.96

-8.52%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$5.54 CHF 4.57

-68.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-87.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$9.66 CHF 7.96

-51.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$7.30 CHF 6.01

-15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$3.67 CHF 3.02

-74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$4.22 CHF 3.48

-45.97%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$7.01 CHF 5.77

-65.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$26.24 CHF 21.61

-59.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$28.39 CHF 23.38

-80.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$39.68 CHF 32.68

-45.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-45.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.65 CHF 1.36

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.56 CHF 2.11

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-66.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.78 CHF 1.47

-62.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$2.08 CHF 1.71

-69.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-54.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$10.85 CHF 8.93

-78.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$14.42 CHF 11.88

-9.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$3.01 CHF 2.48

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.90 CHF 3.21

-10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$3.93 CHF 3.23

-79.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$115 CHF 94.8

-43.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$7.18 CHF 5.92

-81.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$5.71 CHF 4.70

-84.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$36.82 CHF 30.32

-70.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-38.63%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$38.8K CHF 31.9K

27.88%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$40.0K CHF 32.9K

8.06%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$284 CHF 234

-68.74%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$25.68 CHF 21.15

-54.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$49.18 CHF 40.51

-67.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$102 CHF 83.6

-24.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$48.09 CHF 39.61

-52.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$21.37 CHF 17.60

-61.35%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$3,227 CHF 2,658

-68.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$34.9K CHF 28.7K

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$109 CHF 89.4

-50.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$49.00 CHF 40.36

-17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$153 CHF 126

-34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$166 CHF 137

-43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,798 CHF 1,481

-45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$1,450 CHF 1,194

-56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$3,344 CHF 2,754

-40.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$2,728 CHF 2,247

-57.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$16.5K CHF 13.6K

-81.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$12.8K CHF 10.5K

-86.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

1.9

2041.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Stabio: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Stabio

$1.4K 42.4% 131% $823

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Stabio

$592 17.3% 126% $330

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Stabio

$498 14.5% 124% $276

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Stabio

$215 6.3% 66.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Stabio

$359 10.5% 208% $242

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Stabio

$144 4.2% 55.5% $52

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Stabio

$167 4.9% 124% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,798 in Stabio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $177 in Stabio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $592 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Stabio

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

23:46 11:46 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

4,600

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Stabio 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Stabio

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 Stabio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stabio is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $5,137 in Stabio. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $3,227 in Stabio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 126% more in Stabio, 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 $1,525, than in Stabio at $3,425. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stabio 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, Stabio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.