Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,162 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,162

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,162 per month in Somerset West vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Somerset West $1,162
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,890 per month in Somerset West vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Somerset West $1,890
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,618 per month in Somerset West vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Somerset West $2,618
Istanbul $3,281

Somerset West is about 25% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Somerset West sits 14% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.86 R 195

$12.30 ₺609

-3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.93 R 757

$54.7 ₺2,708

-16.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 R 89.3

$9.22 ₺456

-41.21%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.82

$4.40 ₺218

-50.68%

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

$1.03 R 16.99

$1.68 ₺83.1

-38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.02

$0.59 ₺29.40

54.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 R 41.47

$4.70 ₺233

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 R 54.6

$5.91 ₺292

-43.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R 15.56

$1.21 ₺60.0

-22.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.43

$0.89 ₺44.10

12.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 R 33.91

$2.19 ₺108

-5.94%

Eggs

$2.27 R 37.42

$2.35 ₺116

-3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 142

$10.42 ₺516

-16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R 86.6

$5.65 ₺280

-7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 R 157

$20.94 ₺1,037

-54.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.28

$1.90 ₺94.1

-3.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.24

$2.31 ₺114

-17.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.83

$1.28 ₺63.1

32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.62

$1.80 ₺89.0

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.30

$0.65 ₺32.16

136.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.30

$0.64 ₺31.91

140.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.21

$1.25 ₺62.1

3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 17.92

$0.56 ₺27.58

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 54.0

$2.37 ₺118

38.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 R 98.5

$13.42 ₺664

-55.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.13

$2.40 ₺119

-44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.95

$3.48 ₺172

-49.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 R 18.52

$0.89 ₺43.84

25.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 R 979

$67.4 ₺3,338

-11.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 R 9.56

$1.29 ₺64.1

-55.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 R 24.35

$0.92 ₺45.70

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 R 83.7

$10.96 ₺542

-53.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.49

$1.47 ₺72.9

-2.72%

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

$28.8K R 474.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-43.33%

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

$30.0K R 494.4K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-32.60%

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

$85.2 R 1,404

$88.6 ₺4,387

-3.86%

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

$28.77 R 474

$11.59 ₺574

148.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.92 R 674

$15.81 ₺783

158.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.25 R 745

$77.2 ₺3,820

-41.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.76 R 177

$22.74 ₺1,126

-52.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 R 118

$8.14 ₺403

-11.67%

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

$261 R 4,308

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-74.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,633 R 59.9K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-85.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.84 R 508

$54.0 ₺2,671

-42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.76 R 523

$40.83 ₺2,021

-22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 R 1,161

$98.9 ₺4,895

-28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 R 930

$96.6 ₺4,783

-41.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 R 10.5K

$985 ₺48.7K

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 R 6,997

$650 ₺32.2K

-34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 R 22.4K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-31.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 R 15.4K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-20.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,227 R 20.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-60.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$907 R 14.9K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-49.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,427 R 23.5K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

18.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

40.92

-75.27%

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

Last update for Somerset West: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset West

$425 36.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 53% $225

Groceries & Markets

Somerset West

$202 17.4%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 28.8% $58

Eating Out

Somerset West

$164 14.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 35.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset West

$155 13.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 25.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset West

$85 7.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 53.2% $45

Getting Around

Somerset West

$72 6.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 6.9% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset West

$60 5.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 56.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $637 in Somerset West 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 18% higher in Somerset West, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Somerset West versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $260 – making Somerset West the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

12:33 12:33 PM

1 h ahead of Somerset West

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,166

15,701,602

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Somerset West Istanbul 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset West
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

Somerset West vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,743 per month in Somerset West 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 Somerset West, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Somerset West and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 Somerset West, where all-in costs run around $1,162, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Somerset West it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Somerset West – 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 Somerset West. 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.