Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Teyateyaneng

For one person, living is cheaper in Teyateyaneng: $738 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Teyateyaneng

🇱🇸 Lesotho

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Teyateyaneng

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $738 in Teyateyaneng, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Teyateyaneng $738

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,037 in Teyateyaneng, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Teyateyaneng $1,037

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,337 in Teyateyaneng, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Teyateyaneng $1,337

Istanbul costs about 107% more than Teyateyaneng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Teyateyaneng is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.59 LSL 59.2

230.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$12.34 LSL 204

346.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.94 LSL 98.0

53.87%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.82 LSL 30.03

132.97%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.94 LSL 15.45

86.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.58 LSL 9.62

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.87 LSL 30.88

150.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.18 LSL 36.04

173.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.08 LSL 17.81

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.90 LSL 14.82

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.50 LSL 41.24

-7.60%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$2.77 LSL 45.69

280.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$3.72 LSL 61.4

470.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.48 LSL 24.43

30.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.56 LSL 25.66

46.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.54 LSL 25.47

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.25 LSL 20.66

47.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.53 LSL 25.33

-56.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.24 LSL 20.47

-52.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.51 LSL 24.84

-11.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.95 LSL 15.75

-37.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$3.55 LSL 58.5

279.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$2.13 LSL 35.09

13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.87 LSL 30.87

89.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.77 LSL 12.68

7.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.81 LSL 13.37

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.80 LSL 13.28

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.37 LSL 22.60

7.30%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$216 LSL 3,557

-58.62%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$24.06 LSL 397

-51.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$35.90 LSL 592

-55.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$61.9 LSL 1,021

24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$123 LSL 2,024

694.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,194 LSL 19.7K

2058.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$91.4 LSL 1,508

-42.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$90.1 LSL 1,487

14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$124 LSL 2,038

-21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$60.8 LSL 1,003

1535.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$43.29 LSL 714

1353.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$150 LSL 2,476

1249.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$92.7 LSL 1,530

1145.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$305 LSL 5,027

295.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Teyateyaneng: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Teyateyaneng

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Teyateyaneng

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Teyateyaneng

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Teyateyaneng

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Teyateyaneng

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Teyateyaneng

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Teyateyaneng

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $60.8 in Teyateyaneng. 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 295% 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 $12.00 in Teyateyaneng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $124 – making Teyateyaneng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇸 Teyateyaneng

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

75,115

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Lesotho Loti LSL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 LSL = 6.06 USD

100 LSL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LSL, 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).

Lesotho Loti exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 LSL (100 LSL = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 LSL (100 LSL = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Istanbul Teyateyaneng 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Teyateyaneng

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 Teyateyaneng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,107 in Teyateyaneng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teyateyaneng, 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 $12.00 in Teyateyaneng. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% 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 Teyateyaneng, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Teyateyaneng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Teyateyaneng – 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 Teyateyaneng. 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.