Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,329 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
Learn more

Yens Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Yens

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $3,329 in Yens, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Yens $3,329

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $5,100 in Yens, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Yens $5,100

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,872 in Yens, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Yens $6,872

Istanbul is about 53% cheaper than Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Yens sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Yens by 147%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-58.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$119 CHF 98.0

-54.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$15.95 CHF 13.14

-42.19%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.00 CHF 4.94

-26.67%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-66.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$4.27 CHF 3.51

-86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$9.07 CHF 7.47

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.69 CHF 6.34

-23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-43.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.99 CHF 2.46

-70.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-31.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.17 CHF 5.91

-67.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$23.95 CHF 19.73

-56.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$28.06 CHF 23.11

-79.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$39.38 CHF 32.44

-46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-47.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.95 CHF 1.61

18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-49.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-59.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.62 CHF 1.34

-59.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.94 CHF 1.60

-67.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.98 CHF 1.63

-36.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.27 CHF 1.05

-55.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.70 CHF 8.81

-77.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$11.98 CHF 9.87

12.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.24 CHF 1.85

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.86 CHF 2.36

21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-80.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$98.4 CHF 81.0

-31.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-83.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$4.56 CHF 3.75

-79.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$84.2 CHF 69.3

-86.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-37.71%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

21.25%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

12.16%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$274 CHF 225

-67.62%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$27.35 CHF 22.52

-57.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$51.4 CHF 42.31

-69.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$89.6 CHF 73.8

-13.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$45.51 CHF 37.48

-50.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$24.00 CHF 19.76

-66.08%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$2,954 CHF 2,433

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

-15.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$141 CHF 116

-61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$61.4 CHF 50.6

-33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$138 CHF 114

-28.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$197 CHF 162

-51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,679 CHF 1,383

-41.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,839 CHF 2,338

-30.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,494 CHF 2,054

-52.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-80.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$12.0K CHF 9,900

-85.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

1.95

1998.46%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Yens

$1.4K 43.3% 122% $790

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Yens

$558 16.8% 115% $298

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Yens

$452 13.6% 103% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Yens

$242 7.3% 85.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Yens

$352 10.6% 204% $236

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Yens

$138 4.1% 47.2% $44

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Yens

$147 4.4% 91.5% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,679 in Yens. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $119 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $558 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,200

💱 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 Yens 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yens is pricier by about 115%, 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 $4,993 in Yens. 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 $2,954 in Yens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 115% more in Yens, 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 Yens at $3,329. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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, Yens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.