Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,728 in Solothurn, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,728

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,728 per month in Solothurn vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Solothurn $2,728
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $4,408 per month in Solothurn vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Solothurn $4,408
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $6,088 per month in Solothurn vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Solothurn $6,088
Istanbul $3,281

Solothurn costs about 76% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Solothurn and Istanbul sit above the global median – Solothurn by 102%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$12.30 ₺609

144.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 118

$54.7 ₺2,708

161.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 15.10

$9.22 ₺456

98.92%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.27

$4.40 ₺218

45.45%

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

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$1.68 ₺83.1

227.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 CHF 4.21

$0.59 ₺29.40

766.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 CHF 5.28

$4.70 ₺233

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 CHF 4.90

$5.91 ₺292

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$1.21 ₺60.0

81.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 CHF 3.05

$0.89 ₺44.10

316.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.81

$2.19 ₺108

56.16%

Eggs

$8.35 CHF 6.88

$2.35 ₺116

255.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.38 CHF 18.43

$10.42 ₺516

114.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.23 CHF 21.61

$5.65 ₺280

364.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.0 CHF 51.1

$20.94 ₺1,037

196.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.30

$1.90 ₺94.1

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CHF 1.16

$2.31 ₺114

-39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CHF 2.85

$1.28 ₺63.1

170.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 CHF 3.55

$1.80 ₺89.0

139.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.34

$0.65 ₺32.16

150.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 CHF 1.44

$0.64 ₺31.91

171.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 CHF 1.32

$1.25 ₺62.1

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CHF 0.78

$0.56 ₺27.58

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.92

$2.37 ₺118

356.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 CHF 11.38

$13.42 ₺664

2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 CHF 2.27

$2.40 ₺119

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.50

$3.48 ₺172

-12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.93

$0.89 ₺43.84

435.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 CHF 6.76

$1.29 ₺64.1

536.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$0.92 ₺45.70

406.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 71.8

$10.96 ₺542

695.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.47 ₺72.9

53.74%

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

$29.9K CHF 24.6K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-41.08%

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

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-19.50%

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

$96.7 CHF 79.6

$88.6 ₺4,387

9.07%

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

$30.46 CHF 25.09

$11.59 ₺574

162.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 CHF 44.86

$15.81 ₺783

244.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 CHF 74.2

$77.2 ₺3,820

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 CHF 13.76

$22.74 ₺1,126

-26.52%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 CHF 14.57

$8.14 ₺403

117.44%

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

$3,585 CHF 2,952

$1,008 ₺49.9K

255.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K CHF 16.1K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-23.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$54.0 ₺2,671

162.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 CHF 35.14

$40.83 ₺2,021

4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 134

$98.9 ₺4,895

64.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$251 CHF 206

$96.6 ₺4,783

159.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 CHF 933

$985 ₺48.7K

15.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 CHF 840

$650 ₺32.2K

57.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 CHF 1,501

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 CHF 1,449

$1,180 ₺58.4K

49.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,738 CHF 8,021

$3,138 ₺155.4K

210.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,850 CHF 3,994

$1,780 ₺88.1K

172.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,725 CHF 5,538

$1,205 ₺59.7K

457.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

40.92

-94.94%

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

Last update for Solothurn: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Solothurn

$1K 37.4%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 36.3% $371

Groceries & Markets

Solothurn

$622 22.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 58.2% $362

Eating Out

Solothurn

$459 16.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 51.4% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Solothurn

$269 9.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 51.4% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solothurn

$182 6.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 36.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Solothurn

$125 4.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 25.5% $32

Getting Around

Solothurn

$51 * 1.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 52% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Solothurn versus $985 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 458% higher in Solothurn, 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 $143 in Solothurn versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $622 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h ahead of Solothurn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,599

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Solothurn Istanbul 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Solothurn
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

Solothurn vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Solothurn is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in Solothurn and $2,325 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $143 in Solothurn and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Solothurn, 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 $1,550, than in Solothurn at $2,728. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Solothurn 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, Solothurn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.