Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Victoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,017 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
Learn more

Victoria Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$2,017

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Victoria

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,017 in Victoria, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Victoria $2,017

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $3,144 in Victoria, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Victoria $3,144

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $4,271 in Victoria, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Victoria $4,271

Istanbul is about 24% cheaper than Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Victoria sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Victoria by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$17.68 SCR 256

-32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$50.5 SCR 731

9.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$12.40 SCR 180

-26.29%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.98 SCR 57.7

6.53%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.33 SCR 33.72

-24.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.57 SCR 37.20

-78.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$4.08 SCR 59.1

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.02 SCR 58.2

48.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.86 SCR 26.93

-32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.78 SCR 25.75

-46.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.62 SCR 37.90

-11.83%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.69 SCR 53.4

-33.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$31.07 SCR 450

-66.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.12 SCR 88.7

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$12.47 SCR 181

70.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.29 SCR 33.17

-15.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.75 SCR 39.85

-16.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.40 SCR 34.74

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$6.06 SCR 87.7

-69.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.91 SCR 27.60

-64.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.84 SCR 26.57

-67.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.48 SCR 21.36

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.34 SCR 19.34

-55.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$24.31 SCR 352

-90.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.15 SCR 147

32.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$4.26 SCR 61.7

-43.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$5.58 SCR 80.7

-36.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.73 SCR 10.56

13.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$32.68 SCR 473

103.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.64 SCR 23.70

-10.37%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$26.9K SCR 388.9K

92.21%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$32.7K SCR 473.3K

35.97%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$138 SCR 1,993

-35.17%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$41.62 SCR 603

-72.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$136 SCR 1,972

-88.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$76.7 SCR 1,111

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$7.95 SCR 115

185.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.96 SCR 101

19.83%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$141 SCR 2,036

592.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,597 SCR 124.5K

199.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$36.66 SCR 531

43.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$24.11 SCR 349

62.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$88.0 SCR 1,274

17.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$99.1 SCR 1,434

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$959 SCR 13.9K

3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$787 SCR 11.4K

-20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$2,261 SCR 32.7K

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,756 SCR 25.4K

-34.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$442 SCR 6,400

615.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,145 SCR 16.6K

60.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$956 SCR 13.8K

25.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

242.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Victoria

$787 39.5% 25% $158

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Victoria

$375 18.8% 42% $111

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Victoria

$274 13.8% 26% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Victoria

$112 5.6% 15% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Victoria

$315 15.9% 170% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Victoria

$91 4.6% 3.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Victoria

$36 * 1.8% 52.8% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $959 in Victoria. 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 26% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $50.0 in Victoria. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $375 in Victoria – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇨 Victoria

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

26,450 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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 = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.23 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Victoria 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $3,026 in Victoria. 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 $974 per month in Istanbul and $141 in Victoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Victoria, 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 $1,526, than in Victoria at $2,017. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Victoria 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, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.