Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Walvis Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Walvis Bay: $858 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses 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

Walvis Bay

🇳🇦 Namibia

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Walvis Bay

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $858 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Walvis Bay $858

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $928 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Walvis Bay $928

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $999 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Walvis Bay $999

Istanbul costs about 78% more than Walvis Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Walvis Bay is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$9.40 NAD 155

26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$21.02 NAD 347

162.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$7.40 NAD 122

23.51%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.18 NAD 36.05

94.50%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.87 NAD 14.33

101.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.72 NAD 11.88

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.72 NAD 28.37

172.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.03 NAD 49.92

97.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.65 NAD 27.23

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.88 NAD 14.45

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.87 NAD 30.84

23.53%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.80 NAD 29.69

37.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.09 NAD 166

4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.20 NAD 102

-9.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$7.25 NAD 120

192.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.25 NAD 37.10

-14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.03 NAD 33.53

12.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.67 NAD 27.63

10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.41 NAD 39.69

-72.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$3.12 NAD 51.4

-81.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.88 NAD 30.95

-29.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$1.87 NAD 30.81

620.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

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

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

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$43.07 NAD 711

79.36%

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

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$68.0 NAD 1,121

-22.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$453 NAD 7,479

38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

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

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 Walvis Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Walvis Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Walvis Bay

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Walvis Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Walvis Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Walvis Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Walvis Bay

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Walvis Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $21.00 in Walvis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $179 – making Walvis Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇦 Walvis Bay

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

62,096

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 NAD = 6.06 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, 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).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 NAD (100 NAD = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Walvis Bay 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Walvis Bay

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Walvis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,286 in Walvis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $21.00 in Walvis Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Walvis Bay, where all-in costs run around $858, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Walvis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Walvis Bay – 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 Walvis Bay. 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.