Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
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Lome Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lome 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 Lome and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $557 per month in Lome vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lome $557
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $980 per month in Lome vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lome $980
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $1,404 per month in Lome vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lome $1,404
Istanbul $3,272

Lome is about 63% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lome sits 58% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

$11.88 ₺585

-75.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

$55.1 ₺2,714

-44.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

$9.14 ₺450

-38.29%

Cappuccino

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

$4.24 ₺209

33.25%

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

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

$1.75 ₺86.0

141.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 F CFA 407

$0.54 ₺26.83

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 F CFA 560

$4.69 ₺231

-79.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

$5.97 ₺294

-70.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

$1.26 ₺62.1

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 F CFA 795

$0.95 ₺46.81

43.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 872

$2.31 ₺114

-35.50%

Eggs

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

$2.47 ₺122

-17.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

$21.21 ₺1,045

-73.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

$1.93 ₺95.1

51.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 976

$2.29 ₺113

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

$1.84 ₺90.8

38.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

$0.67 ₺32.86

161.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 F CFA 692

$0.59 ₺29.31

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 487

$0.59 ₺29.10

40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

$13.47 ₺664

-63.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 640

$2.42 ₺119

-54.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 820

$3.54 ₺174

-60.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 F CFA 714

$0.85 ₺42.05

43.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

$10.86 ₺535

-60.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 F CFA 720

$1.47 ₺72.3

-16.33%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$146 F CFA 85.6K

$89.2 ₺4,395

63.91%

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

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

$11.60 ₺572

83.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

$16.10 ₺793

161.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

$77.3 ₺3,805

-21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

$22.66 ₺1,116

-61.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

$8.34 ₺411

-49.40%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 F CFA 172.2K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-74.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$295 F CFA 172.7K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-75.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

$210 37.4%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 44.2% $93

Groceries & Markets

Lome

$140 * 25%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 88.6% $124

Eating Out

Lome

$136 24.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 60% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

$69 12.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 36.3% $25

Getting Around

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 1136% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

- * 0%

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Accommodation & Living

Lome

- * 0%

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 308% higher in Istanbul, 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 $31.00 in Lome versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $264 – making Lome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

3 h ahead of Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lome Istanbul 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

Lome vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $836 per month in Lome and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Lome and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Lome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lome – 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 Lome. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.