Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,371 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,371

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,371 per month in Sliema vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sliema $2,371
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,762 per month in Sliema vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sliema $3,762
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $5,154 per month in Sliema vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sliema $5,154
Istanbul $3,272

Sliema costs about 55% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sliema and Istanbul sit above the global median – Sliema by 77%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 €17.75

$11.88 ₺585

67.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 €76.9

$55.1 ₺2,714

56.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.89

$9.14 ₺450

45.73%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.49

$4.24 ₺209

-33.96%

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

$3.08 €2.75

$1.75 ₺86.0

76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.54 ₺26.83

309.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.94

$4.69 ₺231

-5.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.63

$5.97 ₺294

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.26 ₺62.1

7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.95 ₺46.81

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 €3.78

$2.31 ₺114

83.12%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.69

$2.47 ₺122

67.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 €7.34

$10.55 ₺520

-21.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €9.24

$5.60 ₺276

85.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.61

$21.21 ₺1,045

-12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 €3.84

$1.93 ₺95.1

122.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.29 ₺113

19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.30

$1.28 ₺63.1

189.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$1.84 ₺90.8

81.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.18

$0.67 ₺32.86

265.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$0.59 ₺29.31

247.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.33 ₺65.4

76.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.59 ₺29.10

128.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.18

$2.36 ₺116

193.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.28

$13.47 ₺664

-39.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.42 ₺119

-27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.54 ₺174

-30.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.98

$0.83 ₺40.64

167.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 €119

$66.5 ₺3,273

100.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.94

$1.35 ₺66.6

309.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.03

$0.85 ₺42.05

167.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.34 €24.40

$10.86 ₺535

151.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.47 ₺72.3

-0.68%

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

$37.8K €33.8K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-26.69%

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

$38.7K €34.6K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-12.89%

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

$102 €91.4

$89.2 ₺4,395

14.82%

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

$25.23 €22.52

$11.60 ₺572

117.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.57 €38.89

$16.10 ₺793

170.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 €68.1

$77.3 ₺3,805

-1.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 €14.45

$22.66 ₺1,116

-28.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €9.09

$8.34 ₺411

22.18%

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

$371 €331

$974 ₺48.0K

-61.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,768

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-57.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 €77.9

$52.7 ₺2,597

65.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €36.84

$39.16 ₺1,929

5.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.7

$103 ₺5,083

-4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 €70.0

$96.6 ₺4,759

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,562

$994 ₺49.0K

76.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 €1,074

$629 ₺31.0K

91.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 €2,648

$2,024 ₺99.7K

46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 €2,127

$1,155 ₺56.9K

106.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,389 €4,809

$3,160 ₺155.7K

70.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 €3,138

$1,838 ₺90.5K

91.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,794 €1,601

$1,203 ₺59.3K

49.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

41.09

-92.94%

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

Last update for Sliema: 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

Sliema

$1.2K 50.5%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 47.7% $575

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$329 13.8%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 19.7% $65

Eating Out

Sliema

$286 12%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 23.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$171 7.2%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 31.7% $54

Getting Around

Sliema

$159 6.7%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 52.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$137 5.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 4.5% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$97 4.1%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 2.9% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Sliema 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 49% higher in Sliema, 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 $86.0 in Sliema versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

1 h ahead of Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sliema Istanbul 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sliema
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

Sliema vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sliema is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,556 per month in Sliema 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Sliema 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 25% more in Sliema, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Sliema at $2,371. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sliema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.