Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Wil

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,084 in Wil, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Wil
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Wil Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Wil

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Wil

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $3,084 in Wil, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Wil $3,084

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,617 in Wil, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Wil $4,617

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,150 in Wil, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Wil $6,150

Istanbul is about 50% cheaper than Wil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Wil sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Wil by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$29.32 CHF 24.14

-58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$145 CHF 119

-62.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$23.90 CHF 19.68

-61.42%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.09 CHF 5.02

-27.75%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.75 CHF 4.73

-70.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$5.08 CHF 4.18

-88.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$9.16 CHF 7.55

-48.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.46 CHF 5.32

-8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-43.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.18 CHF 3.44

-78.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.73 CHF 3.07

-41.29%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.52 CHF 6.19

-68.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$26.86 CHF 22.12

-61.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$28.65 CHF 23.59

-80.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$41.13 CHF 33.88

-49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.57 CHF 2.94

-46.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.00 CHF 1.65

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-45.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-67.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.98 CHF 1.63

-67.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.06 CHF 1.70

-68.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.17 CHF 0.97

-52.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.80 CHF 8.90

-78.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$18.28 CHF 15.05

-26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.12 CHF 1.74

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.33 CHF 1.92

49.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.94 CHF 3.25

-77.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$89.0 CHF 73.3

-24.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-80.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.77 CHF 3.93

-80.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$36.34 CHF 29.93

-69.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-34.08%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.2K CHF 28.1K

48.68%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

13.34%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$271 CHF 224

-67.35%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$37.31 CHF 30.73

-68.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$54.6 CHF 44.98

-71.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$81.9 CHF 67.4

-5.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$26.59 CHF 21.90

-69.39%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$2,300 CHF 1,894

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$31.7K CHF 26.1K

-19.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$146 CHF 120

-63.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$67.5 CHF 55.6

-39.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$142 CHF 117

-30.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$267 CHF 220

-63.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,459 CHF 1,202

-32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,081 CHF 891

-39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,128 CHF 1,753

-6.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,460 CHF 1,202

-19.17%

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

$4,294 CHF 3,536

-71.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

1.9

2053.68%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Wil

$1.1K 35.1% 66.4% $432

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Wil

$607 19.7% 134% $348

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Wil

$481 15.6% 116% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Wil

$280 9.1% 115% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Wil

$363 11.8% 213% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Wil

$135 4.4% 44.5% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Wil

$135 4.4% 75.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,459 in Wil. 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 256% higher in Wil, 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 $145 in Wil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $607 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Wil

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

18,988

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Wil 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Wil

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 Wil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wil is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $4,626 in Wil. 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 $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $2,300 in Wil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Wil, 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 $1,550, than in Wil at $3,084. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wil 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, Wil makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.