Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tlemcen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlemcen: $396 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Tlemcen
Learn more

Tlemcen Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tlemcen

🇩🇿 Algeria

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tlemcen

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $396 in Tlemcen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tlemcen $396

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $716 in Tlemcen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tlemcen $716

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,037 in Tlemcen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tlemcen $1,037

Istanbul costs about 291% more than Tlemcen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tlemcen is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.22 DZD 431

281.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$10.09 DZD 1,350

442.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.94 DZD 527

134.01%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.64 DZD 85.7

587.50%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.66 DZD 88.7

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.50 DZD 67.1

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.14 DZD 152

312.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.17 DZD 290

172.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.87 DZD 117

39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.13 DZD 17.21

584.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.97 DZD 130

125.77%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.48 DZD 198

58.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.46 DZD 1,267

10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.32 DZD 445

70.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$8.91 DZD 1,193

135.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.82 DZD 378

-32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.70 DZD 361

-14.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.36 DZD 182

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.93 DZD 124

93.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.82 DZD 110

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.70 DZD 93.9

-8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.61 DZD 81.5

104.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.39 DZD 52.1

43.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$1.60 DZD 214

48.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.15 DZD 1,359

32.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.91 DZD 122

163.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.06 DZD 142

228.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.15 DZD 19.71

493.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.85 DZD 114

51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.34 DZD 44.91

170.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$2.28 DZD 306

380.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.31 DZD 41.16

374.19%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$16.0K DZD 2.1M

217.39%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.4K DZD 3.9M

51.30%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$18.48 DZD 2,474

379.49%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$7.66 DZD 1,025

51.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$16.07 DZD 2,152

-1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.61 DZD 617

76.57%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$38.63 DZD 5,171

2509.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,283 DZD 439.5K

678.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$33.18 DZD 4,442

62.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$53.1 DZD 7,112

-23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$79.1 DZD 10.6K

25.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$82.6 DZD 11.1K

16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$262 DZD 35.0K

657.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$151 DZD 20.2K

681.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.5

529.54%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tlemcen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tlemcen

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tlemcen

$170 42.9% 34.6% $90

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tlemcen

$60 15.1% 73.2% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tlemcen

$112 28.2% 14.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tlemcen

$42 10.7% 63.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tlemcen

$9.2 * 2.3% 90.1% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tlemcen

$3.1 * 0.8% 95.9% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $10.00 in Tlemcen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $170 – making Tlemcen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇿 Tlemcen

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

140,158

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Tlemcen 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tlemcen

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 Tlemcen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 291%, 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 $594 in Tlemcen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $10.00 in Tlemcen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tlemcen, where all-in costs run around $396, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tlemcen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tlemcen – 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 Tlemcen. 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.