Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $354 per month in Manzini vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Manzini $354
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $515 per month in Manzini vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Manzini $515
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $677 per month in Manzini vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Manzini $677
Istanbul $3,272

Manzini is about 77% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manzini sits 74% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.26 ₺62.1

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$0.95 ₺46.81

1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$2.31 ₺114

-22.51%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$2.47 ₺122

-52.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$10.55 ₺520

-29.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$5.60 ₺276

-47.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$21.21 ₺1,045

-91.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$1.93 ₺95.1

-31.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$2.29 ₺113

-74.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$1.28 ₺63.1

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$1.84 ₺90.8

-72.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$0.67 ₺32.86

-13.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$0.59 ₺29.31

-20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$1.33 ₺65.4

-66.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$0.59 ₺29.10

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$2.36 ₺116

32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$13.47 ₺664

-76.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$2.42 ₺119

-73.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$3.54 ₺174

-77.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$0.83 ₺40.64

-27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$1.47 ₺72.3

-10.20%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-66.86%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-64.61%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$89.2 ₺4,395

-18.86%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$11.60 ₺572

5.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$16.10 ₺793

86.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$8.34 ₺411

-55.88%

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)

$170 SZL 2,801

$994 ₺49.0K

-82.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$629 ₺31.0K

-83.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-81.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-76.27%

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)

$404 SZL 6,657

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-66.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

-75.66%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $170 in Manzini versus $994 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 198% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

1 h ahead of Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manzini Istanbul 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 332%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $530 per month in Manzini and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $354 in Manzini and $1,526 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 332%.

Groceries cost about 125% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $354, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manzini – 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 Manzini. 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.