Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tozeur

For one person, living is cheaper in Tozeur: $603 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Tozeur
Learn more

Tozeur Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tozeur

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tozeur

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $603 in Tozeur, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tozeur $603

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $929 in Tozeur, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tozeur $929

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,255 in Tozeur, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tozeur $1,255

Istanbul costs about 157% more than Tozeur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tozeur is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$2.31 TND 6.91

432.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$11.51 TND 34.46

375.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.98 TND 14.91

85.14%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.70 TND 2.11

528.57%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.59 TND 1.78

184.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 TND 0.82

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.54 TND 4.62

205.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.02 TND 6.06

192.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.47 TND 1.40

157.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.17 TND 0.50

423.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.51 TND 1.54

329.41%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.47 TND 4.41

59.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.19 TND 30.51

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.50 TND 16.48

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.86 TND 35.53

76.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.83 TND 5.48

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.03 TND 6.07

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.07 TND 3.22

19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.69 TND 2.07

160.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.77 TND 2.32

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.82 TND 2.47

-21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.58 TND 1.73

115.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.34 TND 1.03

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.66 TND 10.96

-35.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.87 TND 20.58

95.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.18 TND 3.53

103.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.03 TND 3.08

237.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.31 TND 0.94

187.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$10.03 TND 30.04

572.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.33 TND 1.00

290.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.32 TND 0.95

187.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.34 TND 21.97

49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$0.81 TND 2.43

81.48%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.8K TND 101.2K

50.33%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.5K TND 100.3K

32.92%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.57 TND 133

98.81%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.64 TND 28.87

20.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$14.71 TND 44.06

7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$26.28 TND 78.7

193.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$12.57 TND 37.64

80.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.40 TND 13.17

85.00%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$97.3 TND 291

936.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,412 TND 7,223

959.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$42.14 TND 126

28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.49 TND 109

11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$101 TND 303

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$50.5 TND 151

91.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$205 TND 615

379.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$156 TND 467

316.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$363 TND 1,088

445.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$271 TND 811

335.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$939 TND 2,813

234.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$617 TND 1,847

188.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$302 TND 905

298.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

13.6

200.88%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tozeur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tozeur

$156 25.9% 76% $494

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tozeur

$169 28.1% 34.9% $91

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tozeur

$57 9.5% 74.4% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tozeur

$104 17.2% 20.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tozeur

$69 11.4% 40.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tozeur

$35 5.8% 62.5% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tozeur

$13 2.2% 82.8% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $205 in Tozeur. 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 299% 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 Tozeur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $169 – making Tozeur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Tozeur

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

37,365

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Tozeur 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tozeur

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 Tozeur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 157%, 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 $905 in Tozeur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tozeur, 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 $97.3 in Tozeur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% 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 Tozeur, where all-in costs run around $603, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tozeur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tozeur – 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 Tozeur. 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.