Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,632 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Gallen $3,632
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $5,284 per month in St. Gallen vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Gallen $5,284
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $6,937 per month in St. Gallen vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Gallen $6,937
Istanbul $3,272

St. Gallen costs about 138% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St. Gallen and Istanbul sit above the global median – St. Gallen by 171%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.41 CHF 24.41

$11.88 ₺585

147.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 121

$55.1 ₺2,714

164.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.82 CHF 14.79

$9.14 ₺450

94.97%

Cappuccino

$5.99 CHF 4.97

$4.24 ₺209

41.27%

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

$5.81 CHF 4.83

$1.75 ₺86.0

232.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.42

$0.54 ₺26.83

887.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 CHF 7.66

$4.69 ₺231

96.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CHF 5.12

$5.97 ₺294

3.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.85

$1.26 ₺62.1

76.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$0.95 ₺46.81

234.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.06

$2.31 ₺114

59.31%

Eggs

$7.68 CHF 6.37

$2.47 ₺122

210.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.41 CHF 21.09

$10.55 ₺520

140.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.97 CHF 24.05

$5.60 ₺276

417.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.85 CHF 32.25

$21.21 ₺1,045

83.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.62

$1.93 ₺95.1

63.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$2.29 ₺113

-29.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$1.28 ₺63.1

80.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 CHF 4.99

$1.84 ₺90.8

226.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.41

$0.67 ₺32.86

153.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.80

$0.59 ₺29.31

266.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$1.33 ₺65.4

62.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.98

$0.59 ₺29.10

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.84

$2.36 ₺116

351.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.39

$13.47 ₺664

-15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CHF 1.81

$2.42 ₺119

-9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.92

$3.54 ₺174

-34.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 CHF 3.46

$0.83 ₺40.64

402.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 CHF 106

$66.5 ₺3,273

93.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 CHF 5.51

$1.35 ₺66.6

391.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 CHF 3.98

$0.85 ₺42.05

463.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.3 CHF 64.2

$10.86 ₺535

612.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$1.47 ₺72.3

51.02%

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

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-31.59%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-11.23%

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

$305 CHF 253

$89.2 ₺4,395

241.93%

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

$38.46 CHF 31.92

$11.60 ₺572

231.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 CHF 44.95

$16.10 ₺793

236.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 CHF 67.0

$77.3 ₺3,805

4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$30.32 CHF 25.16

$8.34 ₺411

263.55%

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

$2,308 CHF 1,915

$974 ₺48.0K

136.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

23.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 122

$52.7 ₺2,597

177.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 53.7

$39.16 ₺1,929

65.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 122

$103 ₺5,083

42.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 CHF 148

$96.6 ₺4,759

84.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CHF 1,439

$994 ₺49.0K

74.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 CHF 1,410

$629 ₺31.0K

169.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 CHF 2,369

$2,024 ₺99.7K

40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 CHF 1,787

$1,155 ₺56.9K

86.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

281.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,070 CHF 7,528

$1,838 ₺90.5K

393.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,528 CHF 5,418

$1,203 ₺59.3K

442.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

41.09

-94.89%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 62.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$572 15.5%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 53.9% $308

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$464 12.6%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 53% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$398 10.8%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 70.6% $281

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$242 6.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 45.7% $110

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$176 4.8%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 57.1% $100

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$141 3.8%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 33.5% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,734 in St. Gallen 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 442% higher in St. Gallen, 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 $145 in St. Gallen versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

1 h ahead of St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

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 CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. Gallen Istanbul 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

St. Gallen
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

St. Gallen vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Gallen is pricier by about 138%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,447 per month in St. Gallen 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 $2,308 per month in St. Gallen 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 117% more in St. Gallen, 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 St. Gallen at $3,632. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Gallen 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, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.