Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zagazig

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagazig: $350 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Zagazig
Learn more

Zagazig Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Zagazig

🇪🇬 Egypt

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zagazig

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $350 in Zagazig, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Zagazig $350

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $581 in Zagazig, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Zagazig $581

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $813 in Zagazig, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Zagazig $813

Istanbul costs about 335% more than Zagazig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Zagazig is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$3.67 E£198

221.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$14.29 E£769

284.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$5.03 E£271

84.10%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$0.86 E£46.13

400.00%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.26 E£13.86

580.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.15 E£8.24

273.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.39 E£75.1

237.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.21 E£119

222.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$0.66 E£35.54

89.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.28 E£15.09

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$0.53 E£28.50

315.09%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.09 E£58.6

122.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$3.56 E£192

194.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$3.93 E£211

35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$7.39 E£398

185.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.29 E£69.7

44.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$0.68 E£36.56

238.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.37 E£20.01

229.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$0.20 E£11.00

800.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.37 E£19.83

86.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.34 E£18.57

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.10 E£5.48

1260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.20 E£10.76

190.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$1.85 E£99.8

26.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.11 E£383

83.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.41 E£76.0

67.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.97 E£106

68.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.11 E£5.76

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$5.47 E£295

1108.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.16 E£8.35

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.17 E£9.31

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$0.60 E£32.17

1748.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$0.37 E£19.78

300.00%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$32.8K E£1.8M

48.33%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.3K E£1.4M

65.65%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$13.78 E£742

572.79%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$4.94 E£266

126.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$10.10 E£544

57.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$9.20 E£495

711.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$1.86 E£100

332.80%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$123 E£6,598

674.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$10.0K E£538.9K

268.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$17.75 E£956

203.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$48.85 E£2,630

-15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$107 E£5,782

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$16.28 E£877

460.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$36.26 E£1,952

1622.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$91.3 E£4,914

1133.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$269 E£14.5K

543.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$191 E£10.3K

496.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

304.20%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zagazig: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Zagazig

$36 10.4% 94.2% $588

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zagazig

$111 31.8% 56.9% $147

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Zagazig

$68 19.4% 69.3% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zagazig

$86 24.5% 33.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Zagazig

$29 8.3% 75.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Zagazig

$13 3.7% 85.8% $78

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Zagazig

$6.9 2% 90.8% $68

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Istanbul are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $14 in Zagazig. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $111 – making Zagazig the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇪🇬 Zagazig

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

14:51 2:51 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

285,097

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 EGP = 1.86 USD

100 EGP = 1.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.48 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Zagazig 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zagazig

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 Zagazig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 335%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $524 in Zagazig. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $123 in Zagazig. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zagazig, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Zagazig it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $350 in Zagazig to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Zagazig. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.