Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merignac and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,887 in Merignac, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Merignac
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Merignac Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Merignac

🇫🇷 France

$1,887

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Merignac vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Merignac $1,887
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $2,897 per month in Merignac vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Merignac $2,897
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $3,907 per month in Merignac vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Merignac $3,907
Istanbul $3,197

Merignac costs about 25% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Merignac and Istanbul sit above the global median – Merignac by 39%, Istanbul by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.82 €15.12

$11.59 ₺577

45.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 €69.9

$54.7 ₺2,724

42.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 €12.07

$9.39 ₺468

43.02%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.55

$4.23 ₺211

-6.38%

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

$2.93 €2.63

$1.72 ₺85.6

70.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.24

$0.57 ₺28.25

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 €6.68

$4.65 ₺232

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 €5.96

$6.84 ₺341

-3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.06

$1.20 ₺60.0

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.78

$0.94 ₺46.96

110.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$2.24 ₺112

12.50%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.14

$2.42 ₺121

44.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 €12.17

$10.24 ₺510

32.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 €13.20

$5.38 ₺268

173.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.03 €17.99

$21.19 ₺1,056

-5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$1.89 ₺94.2

81.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.22 ₺111

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.96

$1.26 ₺62.7

161.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €3.12

$1.81 ₺90.0

91.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$0.70 ₺34.83

224.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 €2.59

$0.64 ₺32.12

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.22 ₺60.8

12.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.55 ₺27.35

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 €11.87

$2.32 ₺116

469.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 €8.02

$13.31 ₺663

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.11

$2.33 ₺116

48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.06

$3.46 ₺172

-1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.75

$0.91 ₺45.17

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 €49.57

$66.3 ₺3,305

-16.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.29 ₺64.2

77.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.63

$0.86 ₺42.65

110.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.65 €33.83

$11.09 ₺553

239.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.42 ₺70.7

53.52%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-28.84%

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

$36.2K €32.5K

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-15.54%

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

$222 €200

$87.7 ₺4,371

153.33%

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

$14.09 €12.66

$11.28 ₺562

24.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.79 €27.67

$15.89 ₺792

93.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.86 €28.63

$75.9 ₺3,782

-58.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 €11.65

$8.20 ₺409

58.17%

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

$797 €716

$1,028 ₺51.2K

-22.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,246

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-60.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €101

$53.3 ₺2,657

110.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 €40.94

$39.69 ₺1,978

14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €96.1

$99.8 ₺4,971

7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €131

$93.5 ₺4,659

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 €774

$1,003 ₺50.0K

-14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 €590

$628 ₺31.3K

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 €1,436

$1,963 ₺97.8K

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 €1,028

$1,122 ₺55.9K

1.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,985 €3,580

$3,075 ₺153.2K

29.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 €2,726

$1,753 ₺87.3K

73.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

40.69

-90.69%

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

Last update for Merignac: October 26, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merignac

$656 34.8%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 4.3% $28

Groceries & Markets

Merignac

$357 18.9%

Istanbul

$258 17% 27.7% $99

Eating Out

Merignac

$290 15.4%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 24.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merignac

$267 14.2%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 57% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Merignac

$185 9.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 30.3% $56

Getting Around

Merignac

$74 3.9%

Istanbul

$76 5% 1.6% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Merignac

$58 3.1%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 59.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $862 in Merignac versus $1,003 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 $78 in Merignac versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Merignac

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

2 h ahead of Merignac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,729

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Merignac Istanbul 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Merignac
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

Merignac vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Merignac is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Merignac and $2,274 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Merignac, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $862 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Merignac and $1,028 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Merignac, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,887 in Merignac and $1,516 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,516 in Istanbul to $1,887 in Merignac. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.