Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tel Aviv-Yafo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,519 a month against $3,564 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
172

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
Learn more

Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,564

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tel Aviv-Yafo

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $3,564 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,564

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $5,284 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,284

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $7,005 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Tel Aviv-Yafo $7,005

Istanbul is about 57% cheaper than Tel Aviv-Yafo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Tel Aviv-Yafo sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Tel Aviv-Yafo by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$25.70 ₪82.2

-54.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$129 ₪411

-57.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$19.89 ₪63.6

-53.44%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$5.28 ₪16.88

-18.56%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$3.87 ₪12.38

-54.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.96 ₪9.45

-81.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$10.78 ₪34.46

-56.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$10.60 ₪33.89

-32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$2.43 ₪7.77

-48.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$4.48 ₪14.33

-80.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$3.76 ₪12.02

-41.49%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$4.94 ₪15.80

-50.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$21.34 ₪68.2

-50.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$16.25 ₪52.0

-67.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$24.66 ₪78.9

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$4.57 ₪14.61

-59.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$3.85 ₪12.30

-40.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.38 ₪7.60

-48.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$3.24 ₪10.36

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.82 ₪5.83

-62.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.81 ₪5.79

-64.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$2.56 ₪8.18

-46.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$2.64 ₪8.43

-78.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$14.18 ₪45.34

-83.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$15.98 ₪51.1

-18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$3.59 ₪11.47

-34.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$4.76 ₪15.23

-30.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$2.56 ₪8.20

-65.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$100 ₪320

-33.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$4.18 ₪13.36

-69.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.74 ₪2.38

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$36.90 ₪118

-69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$2.51 ₪8.02

-41.04%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$53.9K ₪172.2K

-9.70%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$52.4K ₪167.6K

-19.92%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$445 ₪1,423

-79.17%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$11.22 ₪35.88

-0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$34.88 ₪112

-54.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$89.9 ₪287

-16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$22.69 ₪72.5

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$15.72 ₪50.3

-48.79%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$1,643 ₪5,254

-42.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$26.2K ₪83.7K

41.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$124 ₪397

-56.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$85.4 ₪273

-51.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$167 ₪534

-39.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$192 ₪614

-52.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$2,276 ₪7,278

-55.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$1,641 ₪5,247

-61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$3,758 ₪12.0K

-46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$2,766 ₪8,843

-59.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$20.5K ₪65.4K

-85.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$13.9K ₪44.4K

-87.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$4,570 ₪14.6K

-75.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

5.03

703.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 46.1% 163% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$505 14.2% 95.6% $247

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$431 12.1% 95.1% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$256 7.2% 97.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$491 13.8% 310% $371

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$121 3.4% 33.7% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$118 3.3% 57.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $2,276 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tel Aviv-Yafo are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $129 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $505 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

438,818

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 ILS = 0.313 USD

1 ILS = 0.28 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.2 ILS (1 ILS = 0.313 USD). 1 EUR = 3.57 ILS (1 ILS = 0.28 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tel Aviv-Yafo 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tel Aviv-Yafo

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 Tel Aviv-Yafo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tel Aviv-Yafo is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $5,346 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,014 there versus $2,276 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $1,643 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Tel Aviv-Yafo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $3,564 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tel Aviv-Yafo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.