Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $3,419 in Lachen, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
Learn more

Lachen Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,419

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lachen and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lachen and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,419 per month in Lachen vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lachen $3,419
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $5,218 per month in Lachen vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lachen $5,218
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $7,017 per month in Lachen vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lachen $7,017
Istanbul $3,256

Lachen costs about 124% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lachen and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lachen by 152%, Istanbul by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.00 CHF 27.18

$11.96 ₺592

175.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 99.4

$57.2 ₺2,834

110.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 CHF 13.45

$9.51 ₺471

71.71%

Cappuccino

$6.19 CHF 5.10

$4.40 ₺218

40.68%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.68

$1.75 ₺86.6

224.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$0.56 ₺27.57

812.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 CHF 6.95

$4.71 ₺233

79.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 CHF 7.92

$6.14 ₺304

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.24 ₺61.6

74.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.79

$0.95 ₺47.25

256.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 CHF 3.57

$2.28 ₺113

89.91%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.49

$2.45 ₺121

221.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.48 CHF 21.81

$10.56 ₺523

150.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.44 CHF 21.77

$5.50 ₺272

380.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.73 CHF 32.72

$21.65 ₺1,072

83.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.87

$1.83 ₺90.6

90.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$2.29 ₺113

-6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 CHF 2.17

$1.28 ₺63.4

105.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 CHF 3.94

$1.82 ₺90.1

162.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.65

$0.66 ₺32.74

204.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$0.63 ₺31.14

260.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$1.27 ₺62.8

92.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 CHF 1.17

$0.56 ₺27.62

153.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 9.12

$2.36 ₺117

369.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 CHF 10.89

$12.98 ₺642

1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.88

$2.48 ₺123

-7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$3.50 ₺174

-4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 CHF 3.17

$0.82 ₺40.77

369.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CHF 90.7

$65.2 ₺3,228

68.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.34

$1.33 ₺65.7

478.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.95 CHF 4.07

$0.90 ₺44.60

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 71.6

$10.91 ₺540

696.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.43 ₺70.7

60.14%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-21.10%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-7.73%

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

$231 CHF 190

$88.8 ₺4,395

159.76%

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

$31.78 CHF 26.18

$11.69 ₺579

171.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 CHF 53.9

$16.09 ₺797

306.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 72.9

$76.3 ₺3,776

16.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.80 CHF 39.37

$22.72 ₺1,125

110.39%

Cinema Ticket

$21.69 CHF 17.86

$8.26 ₺409

162.59%

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

$2,846 CHF 2,344

$1,015 ₺50.2K

180.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K CHF 37.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 114

$53.3 ₺2,636

160.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.1 CHF 72.6

$40.55 ₺2,008

117.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$100 ₺4,956

46.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 CHF 142

$93.5 ₺4,630

84.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CHF 1,437

$977 ₺48.4K

78.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 CHF 1,221

$627 ₺31.0K

136.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 CHF 2,413

$1,980 ₺98.0K

47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 CHF 2,056

$1,147 ₺56.8K

117.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$3,095 ₺153.2K

422.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

$1,787 ₺88.5K

605.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,670 CHF 7,965

$1,213 ₺60.1K

697.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

40.69

-95.77%

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

Last update for Lachen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lachen

$1.5K 43.4%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 57.7% $855

Groceries & Markets

Lachen

$582 17%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 54.9% $319

Eating Out

Lachen

$492 14.4%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 54.8% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lachen

$328 9.6%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 64.4% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Lachen

$246 7.2%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 47.3% $116

Getting Around

Lachen

$158 4.6%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 52.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Lachen

$132 3.9%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 29.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,745 in Lachen versus $977 in Istanbul. 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 697% higher in Lachen, 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 $121 in Lachen versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $582 vs $263 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Lachen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

23:24 11:24 PM

1 h ahead of Lachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lachen Istanbul 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lachen
Istanbul

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

Lachen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lachen is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,128 per month in Lachen and $2,287 in Istanbul. 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 $2,846 per month in Lachen and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Lachen, 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 $1,525, than in Lachen at $3,419. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lachen 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, Lachen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.