Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Turgi

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $3,455 in Turgi, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Turgi
Learn more

Turgi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Turgi

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Turgi

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $3,455 in Turgi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Turgi $3,455

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $5,240 in Turgi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Turgi $5,240

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $7,024 in Turgi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Turgi $7,024

Istanbul is about 56% cheaper than Turgi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Turgi sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Turgi by 155%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$30.61 CHF 25.21

-60.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$125 CHF 103

-54.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$17.85 CHF 14.70

-46.72%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.52 CHF 5.37

-32.52%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$6.44 CHF 5.31

-72.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$6.09 CHF 5.02

-90.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$9.10 CHF 7.50

-48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$9.47 CHF 7.80

-35.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-69.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-31.33%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$8.17 CHF 6.73

-70.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$26.28 CHF 21.64

-59.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$27.31 CHF 22.49

-79.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$41.00 CHF 33.77

-47.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.70 CHF 3.05

-50.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$3.02 CHF 2.48

-57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$4.64 CHF 3.82

-60.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.69 CHF 1.39

-60.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.92 CHF 1.58

-67.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-41.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.56 CHF 1.29

-64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$11.40 CHF 9.39

-79.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$11.90 CHF 9.80

9.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$2.46 CHF 2.02

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$3.09 CHF 2.54

13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$4.63 CHF 3.82

-82.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$101 CHF 83.5

-35.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$7.84 CHF 6.46

-83.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-80.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$84.5 CHF 69.6

-87.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.40 CHF 1.97

-40.42%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

25.79%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

8.89%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$295 CHF 243

-69.96%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$46.28 CHF 38.12

-74.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$63.1 CHF 52.0

-74.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$78.2 CHF 64.4

-2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$39.11 CHF 32.21

-41.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$22.57 CHF 18.59

-63.40%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$2,948 CHF 2,428

-65.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$33.1K CHF 27.2K

-21.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$144 CHF 119

-63.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$78.8 CHF 64.9

-48.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$163 CHF 134

-38.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$201 CHF 165

-53.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,794 CHF 1,478

-45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$1,437 CHF 1,183

-56.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$2,754 CHF 2,268

-28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$2,387 CHF 1,966

-51.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$14.6K CHF 12.0K

-78.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-87.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

2.42

1581.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Turgi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Turgi

$1.4K 41.6% 129% $810

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Turgi

$585 16.9% 123% $322

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Turgi

$491 14.2% 121% $269

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Turgi

$264 7.6% 104% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Turgi

$405 11.7% 247% $288

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Turgi

$123 3.6% 33% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Turgi

$151 4.4% 103% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,794 in Turgi. 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $125 in Turgi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $585 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Turgi

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Turgi 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Turgi

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 Turgi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Turgi is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $5,183 in Turgi. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $2,948 in Turgi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 123% more in Turgi, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Turgi at $3,455. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Turgi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Turgi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.