Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Menzel Temime and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Menzel Temime: $699 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Menzel Temime
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Menzel Temime Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Menzel Temime

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$699

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $699 per month in Menzel Temime vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Menzel Temime $699
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,107 per month in Menzel Temime vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Menzel Temime $1,107
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $1,515 per month in Menzel Temime vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Menzel Temime $1,515
Istanbul $3,256

Menzel Temime is about 54% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Menzel Temime sits 48% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 TND 16.46

$11.96 ₺592

-54.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.53 TND 49.51

$57.2 ₺2,834

-71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 TND 14.31

$9.51 ₺471

-49.74%

Cappuccino

$1.58 TND 4.74

$4.40 ₺218

-64.09%

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

$0.65 TND 1.96

$1.75 ₺86.6

-62.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 TND 0.81

$0.56 ₺27.57

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 TND 4.88

$4.71 ₺233

-65.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 TND 4.98

$6.14 ₺304

-72.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.40

$1.24 ₺61.6

-62.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.61

$0.95 ₺47.25

-78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 TND 5.50

$2.28 ₺113

-19.30%

Eggs

$1.50 TND 4.49

$2.45 ₺121

-38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 TND 44.35

$10.56 ₺523

40.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 TND 18.79

$5.50 ₺272

14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 TND 43.66

$21.65 ₺1,072

-32.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 TND 4.99

$1.83 ₺90.6

-9.29%

Banana (1kg)

$4.43 TND 13.28

$2.29 ₺113

93.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 TND 3.91

$1.28 ₺63.4

2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 TND 2.77

$1.82 ₺90.1

-49.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 TND 2.91

$0.66 ₺32.74

46.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 TND 2.41

$0.63 ₺31.14

26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 TND 1.45

$1.27 ₺62.8

-62.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.91

$0.56 ₺27.62

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 TND 9.99

$2.36 ₺117

41.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 TND 14.67

$12.98 ₺642

-62.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 TND 3.52

$2.48 ₺123

-52.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 TND 4.13

$3.50 ₺174

-60.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 TND 1.03

$0.82 ₺40.77

-57.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.69 TND 29.01

$65.2 ₺3,228

-85.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.93

$1.33 ₺65.7

-76.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 TND 0.87

$0.90 ₺44.60

-67.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 TND 13.83

$10.91 ₺540

-57.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 TND 2.51

$1.43 ₺70.7

-41.26%

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

$40.0K TND 119.7K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-19.37%

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

$37.1K TND 111.2K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-14.02%

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

$44.22 TND 132

$88.8 ₺4,395

-50.19%

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

$10.32 TND 30.90

$11.69 ₺579

-11.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.90 TND 59.6

$16.09 ₺797

23.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.69 TND 79.9

$76.3 ₺3,776

-65.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.98 TND 38.87

$22.72 ₺1,125

-42.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 TND 9.85

$8.26 ₺409

-60.17%

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

$61.4 TND 184

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-93.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,942 TND 5,815

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-92.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.71 TND 143

$53.3 ₺2,636

-10.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 TND 205

$40.55 ₺2,008

68.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 TND 333

$100 ₺4,956

11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 TND 201

$93.5 ₺4,630

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 TND 609

$977 ₺48.4K

-79.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 TND 422

$627 ₺31.0K

-77.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 TND 1,182

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-80.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 TND 756

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-77.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,057 TND 3,167

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-65.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$689 TND 2,065

$1,787 ₺88.5K

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

-72.97%

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

Last update for Menzel Temime: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Menzel Temime

$213 30.5%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 23.3% $50

Accommodation & Living

Menzel Temime

$141 20.2%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 345% $486

Clothing & Footwear

Menzel Temime

$132 18.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 2.3% $3.1

Eating Out

Menzel Temime

$92 13.2%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 140% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Menzel Temime

$74 10.6%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 56.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Menzel Temime

$33 4.8%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 179% $60

Getting Around

Menzel Temime

$13 1.8%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 479% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $203 in Menzel Temime 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Menzel Temime versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $263 – making Menzel Temime the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Menzel Temime

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

2 h ahead of Menzel Temime

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,645

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 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 TND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Menzel Temime Istanbul 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Menzel Temime
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

Menzel Temime vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,049 per month in Menzel Temime 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 Menzel Temime, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $61.4 per month in Menzel Temime 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 23% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Menzel Temime, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Menzel Temime it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Menzel Temime – 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 Menzel Temime. 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.