Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tebessa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tebessa: $522 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Tebessa
Learn more

Tebessa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tebessa

🇩🇿 Algeria

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tebessa

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $522 in Tebessa, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tebessa $522

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $893 in Tebessa, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tebessa $893

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,264 in Tebessa, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tebessa $1,264

Istanbul costs about 197% more than Tebessa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tebessa is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.25 DZD 435

278.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$28.42 DZD 3,805

92.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.80 DZD 509

142.63%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.67 DZD 90.4

556.72%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.81 DZD 108

107.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.24 DZD 31.88

145.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.55 DZD 208

203.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.06 DZD 276

186.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.88 DZD 118

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.15 DZD 19.79

493.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.10 DZD 147

99.09%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.18 DZD 158

99.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.94 DZD 1,062

31.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.06 DZD 543

39.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.14 DZD 1,893

48.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.04 DZD 273

-6.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.77 DZD 371

-16.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.13 DZD 151

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.94 DZD 126

91.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.58 DZD 78.0

12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.41 DZD 55.2

56.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.65 DZD 86.8

92.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.27 DZD 36.54

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.61 DZD 349

-9.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.62 DZD 1,021

76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.34 DZD 179

79.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.02 DZD 270

72.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.20 DZD 27.27

345.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$7.58 DZD 1,015

789.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.57 DZD 76.2

126.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.40 DZD 52.9

130.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.63 DZD 753

94.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.36 DZD 47.53

308.33%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.8K DZD 4.8M

41.89%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.5K DZD 4.9M

22.05%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$36.48 DZD 4,884

142.90%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.16 DZD 1,227

26.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.16 DZD 1,628

30.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$22.92 DZD 3,069

236.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.16 DZD 557

95.67%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$322 DZD 43.2K

212.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,083 DZD 680.4K

402.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$32.25 DZD 4,318

67.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.73 DZD 4,381

24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$78.5 DZD 10.5K

26.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$80.5 DZD 10.8K

20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$122 DZD 16.4K

705.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$83.0 DZD 11.1K

682.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$267 DZD 35.7K

644.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$211 DZD 28.2K

459.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$973 DZD 130.2K

222.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,031 DZD 138.1K

72.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

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 Tebessa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tebessa

$83 15.9% 87.2% $567

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tebessa

$176 33.8% 32.1% $83

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tebessa

$62 11.8% 72.4% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tebessa

$101 19.3% 22.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tebessa

$58 11.1% 50.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tebessa

$31 6% 66.6% $62

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tebessa

$11 2.1% 85.8% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $122 in Tebessa. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $28.00 in Tebessa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $176 – making Tebessa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Tebessa

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

196,537

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tebessa 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tebessa

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 Tebessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 197%, 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 $782 in Tebessa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tebessa, 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 $322 in Tebessa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 Tebessa, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tebessa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tebessa – 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 Tebessa. 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.