Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $620 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Sfax
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Sfax Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sfax

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$620

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Sfax vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfax $620
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $975 per month in Sfax vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfax $975
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $1,329 per month in Sfax vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sfax $1,329
Istanbul $3,272

Sfax is about 59% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sfax sits 54% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 TND 10.24

$11.88 ₺585

-71.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 TND 59.1

$55.1 ₺2,715

-64.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 TND 15.02

$9.14 ₺450

-44.97%

Cappuccino

$0.71 TND 2.10

$4.24 ₺209

-83.25%

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

$0.58 TND 1.73

$1.75 ₺86.0

-66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 TND 0.81

$0.54 ₺26.84

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 TND 4.66

$4.69 ₺231

-66.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 TND 6.03

$5.97 ₺294

-66.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 TND 1.49

$1.26 ₺62.1

-60.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 TND 0.72

$0.95 ₺46.82

-74.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 TND 4.12

$2.31 ₺114

-40.26%

Eggs

$1.56 TND 4.64

$2.47 ₺122

-36.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 TND 36.76

$10.55 ₺520

16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 TND 17.18

$5.60 ₺276

2.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 TND 41.70

$21.21 ₺1,045

-34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 TND 5.29

$1.93 ₺95.1

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 TND 9.18

$2.29 ₺113

34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 TND 3.11

$1.28 ₺63.1

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 TND 2.04

$1.84 ₺90.8

-63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 TND 2.42

$0.67 ₺32.87

20.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 TND 2.29

$0.59 ₺29.31

30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 TND 1.72

$1.33 ₺65.4

-56.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 TND 1.03

$0.59 ₺29.11

-40.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 TND 11.53

$2.36 ₺116

63.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 TND 19.41

$13.47 ₺664

-51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 TND 3.56

$2.42 ₺119

-50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 TND 3.10

$3.54 ₺174

-70.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 TND 0.55

$0.83 ₺40.65

-78.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.98 TND 29.77

$66.5 ₺3,274

-84.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 TND 1.00

$1.35 ₺66.6

-75.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$0.85 ₺42.06

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 TND 22.56

$10.86 ₺535

-30.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.47

$1.47 ₺72.3

-43.54%

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

$36.5K TND 109.0K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-29.21%

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

$34.9K TND 104.2K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-21.45%

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

$44.47 TND 133

$89.2 ₺4,396

-50.16%

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

$9.43 TND 28.14

$11.60 ₺572

-18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.85 TND 44.31

$16.10 ₺793

-7.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.37 TND 81.7

$77.3 ₺3,806

-64.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 TND 21.85

$22.66 ₺1,116

-67.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 TND 13.30

$8.34 ₺411

-46.52%

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

$98.6 TND 294

$974 ₺48.0K

-89.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,470 TND 7,370

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-90.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.94 TND 128

$52.7 ₺2,597

-18.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 TND 109

$39.16 ₺1,930

-6.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 TND 340

$103 ₺5,084

10.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.2 TND 198

$96.6 ₺4,760

-31.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 TND 579

$994 ₺49.0K

-80.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 TND 404

$629 ₺31.0K

-78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 TND 1,013

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-83.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 TND 649

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-81.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,020 TND 3,043

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-67.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$745 TND 2,224

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-59.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 TND 976

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-72.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.6

41.09

-66.90%

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

Last update for Sfax: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sfax

$193 30.7%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 36.6% $71

Accommodation & Living

Sfax

$135 21.5%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 365% $494

Clothing & Footwear

Sfax

$117 18.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 12.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sfax

$69 10.9%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 70.1% $48

Eating Out

Sfax

$66 10.5%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 229% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Sfax

$36 5.8%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 159% $58

Getting Around

Sfax

$13 2%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 490% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $194 in Sfax 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 268% 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 $20.00 in Sfax versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $264 – making Sfax the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Sfax

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

2 h ahead of Sfax

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

955,421

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.98 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sfax Istanbul 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sfax
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

Sfax vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 146%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $931 per month in Sfax 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 Sfax, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $98.6 per month in Sfax and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sfax, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Sfax it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sfax – 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 Sfax. 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.