Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zabbar

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,847 in Zabbar, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zabbar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Zabbar
Learn more

Zabbar Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Zabbar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zabbar

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,847 in Zabbar, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Zabbar $1,847

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,659 in Zabbar, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Zabbar $2,659

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,472 in Zabbar, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Zabbar $3,472

Istanbul is about 16% cheaper than Zabbar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Zabbar sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Zabbar by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$17.06 €15.18

-27.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$38.38 €34.14

42.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.66 €6.81

20.37%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.68 €2.39

64.18%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.28 €2.03

-26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.70 €0.62

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.26 €2.01

107.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.42 €3.93

33.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.15 €1.02

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.57 €0.51

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.14 €1.01

92.11%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.91 €3.48

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.69 €5.06

83.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.37 €3.89

29.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.08 €8.96

107.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.27 €3.80

-55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.73 €2.43

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.55 €3.16

-63.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.38 €3.01

-46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.53 €2.25

-74.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.97 €1.75

-67.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.21 €1.97

-43.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.14 €1.02

-50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.52 €5.80

-63.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.94 €7.07

69.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.68 €1.50

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.40 €2.13

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.52 €2.25

-64.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$16.81 €14.95

301.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.39 €4.79

-76.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.22 €1.97

-58.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$26.49 €23.57

-58.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.52 €1.35

-3.29%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.1K €33.0K

36.88%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.7K €34.4K

15.09%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$103 €91.9

-14.24%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$25.52 €22.70

-54.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$42.11 €37.46

-62.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$62.2 €55.3

24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$11.03 €9.81

106.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$10.17 €9.05

-19.96%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$359 €320

180.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,249 €2,001

1036.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$86.6 €77.0

-37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$41.20 €36.65

-0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$97.6 €86.8

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$78.8 €70.1

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,121 €997

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$951 €846

-31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,788 €1,590

10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,488 €1,324

-20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,086 €3,635

-23.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$4,051 €3,603

-56.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,131 €1,006

6.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.9

1311.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zabbar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Zabbar

$951 51.5% 46.3% $301

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Zabbar

$239 12.9% 8.1% $21

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Zabbar

$224 12.1% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Zabbar

$137 7.4% 4.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Zabbar

$171 9.3% 47.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Zabbar

$83 4.5% 11.7% $11

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Zabbar

$43 2.4% 43.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,121 in Zabbar. 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 7% 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 $38.00 in Zabbar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $239 – making Zabbar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇹 Zabbar

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

15,404

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Zabbar 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zabbar

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 Zabbar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zabbar is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,770 in Zabbar. 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 $359 in Zabbar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Zabbar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Zabbar at $1,847. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zabbar 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, Zabbar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.