Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,872 in Saintes, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Saintes
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Saintes Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Saintes

🇫🇷 France

$1,872

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,872 per month in Saintes vs $1,516 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saintes $1,872
Istanbul $1,516

A couple spends around $2,858 per month in Saintes vs $2,356 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saintes $2,858
Istanbul $2,356

A family of three spends $3,843 per month in Saintes vs $3,197 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saintes $3,843
Istanbul $3,197

Saintes costs about 24% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saintes and Istanbul sit above the global median – Saintes by 38%, Istanbul by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.58 €20.29

$11.59 ₺577

94.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €61.4

$54.7 ₺2,725

24.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 €5.86

$9.39 ₺468

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.31

$4.23 ₺211

-12.77%

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

$2.71 €2.44

$1.72 ₺85.6

57.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.21

$0.57 ₺28.26

136.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.60

$4.65 ₺232

58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €4.15

$6.84 ₺341

-32.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.20 ₺60.0

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 €1.66

$0.94 ₺46.97

96.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.24 ₺112

-16.07%

Eggs

$2.26 €2.03

$2.42 ₺121

-6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.82 €21.40

$10.24 ₺510

132.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.59

$5.38 ₺268

119.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.88

$21.19 ₺1,056

-16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 €3.77

$1.89 ₺94.3

122.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 €3.33

$2.22 ₺111

67.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.26 ₺62.7

53.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 €4.62

$1.81 ₺90.0

183.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.70 ₺34.84

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$0.64 ₺32.13

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.22 ₺60.9

40.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.31

$0.55 ₺27.35

-38.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 €12.99

$2.32 ₺116

523.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 €11.61

$13.31 ₺663

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.14

$2.33 ₺116

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$3.46 ₺172

-31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.67

$0.91 ₺45.18

104.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.68

$66.3 ₺3,306

-33.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$1.29 ₺64.2

238.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.08

$0.86 ₺42.66

168.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.94 €30.49

$11.09 ₺553

206.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.42 ₺70.8

36.62%

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

$36.5K €32.8K

$49.2K ₺2.5M

-25.83%

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

$38.1K €34.2K

$42.8K ₺2.1M

-11.10%

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

$134 €120

$87.7 ₺4,373

52.77%

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

$11.13 €10.00

$11.28 ₺562

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.75 €30.32

$15.89 ₺792

112.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.92 €32.26

$75.9 ₺3,783

-52.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 €8.90

$8.20 ₺409

20.85%

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

$849 €762

$1,028 ₺51.2K

-17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,788

$26.0K ₺1.3M

-58.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.9

$53.3 ₺2,658

104.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 €35.02

$39.69 ₺1,978

-1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$99.8 ₺4,972

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €134

$93.5 ₺4,661

60.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 €621

$1,003 ₺50.0K

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 €644

$628 ₺31.3K

14.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,295

$1,963 ₺97.8K

-26.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,060

$1,122 ₺55.9K

5.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,571 €3,208

$3,075 ₺153.2K

16.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,323 €2,985

$1,753 ₺87.3K

89.59%

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 Saintes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saintes

$717 38.3%

Istanbul

$628 41.5% 12.4% $89

Groceries & Markets

Saintes

$364 19.4%

Istanbul

$258 17% 29% $105

Eating Out

Saintes

$307 16.4%

Istanbul

$218 14.4% 29% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Saintes

$183 9.8%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 29.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saintes

$179 9.6%

Istanbul

$115 7.6% 35.8% $64

Getting Around

Saintes

$68 3.6%

Istanbul

$76 5% 11.8% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Saintes

$56 3%

Istanbul

$92 6.1% 65.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Saintes 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 $68 in Saintes versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $258 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Saintes

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

2 h ahead of Saintes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,518

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

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

From you

Saintes
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

Saintes vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saintes is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,808 per month in Saintes 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 Saintes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $849 per month in Saintes 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 41% more in Saintes, 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 $1,872 in Saintes 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 $1,872 in Saintes. 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.