Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,609 in St. Moritz, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in St. Moritz
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St. Moritz Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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St. Moritz

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,609

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,609 per month in St. Moritz vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Moritz $3,609
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $6,451 per month in St. Moritz vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Moritz $6,451
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $9,292 per month in St. Moritz vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

St. Moritz $9,292
Istanbul $3,281

St. Moritz costs about 133% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St. Moritz and Istanbul sit above the global median – St. Moritz by 167%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.22 CHF 29.01

$12.30 ₺609

186.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 CHF 118

$54.7 ₺2,708

162.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 CHF 11.89

$9.22 ₺456

56.62%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 5.05

$4.40 ₺218

39.55%

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

$5.49 CHF 4.52

$1.68 ₺83.1

226.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CHF 3.79

$0.59 ₺29.40

679.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 CHF 7.94

$4.70 ₺233

105.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 CHF 5.00

$5.91 ₺292

2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$1.21 ₺60.0

47.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 CHF 3.09

$0.89 ₺44.10

322.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.04

$2.19 ₺108

68.49%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 6.14

$2.35 ₺116

217.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.32 CHF 21.68

$10.42 ₺516

152.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.45 CHF 22.61

$5.65 ₺280

385.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$60.5 CHF 49.86

$20.94 ₺1,037

189.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CHF 3.32

$1.90 ₺94.1

112.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$2.31 ₺114

22.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$1.28 ₺63.1

162.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$1.80 ₺89.0

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.08

$0.65 ₺32.16

289.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$0.64 ₺31.91

234.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 CHF 1.99

$1.25 ₺62.1

92.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$0.56 ₺27.58

123.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.98

$2.37 ₺118

360.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 CHF 11.56

$13.42 ₺664

4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.26

$2.40 ₺119

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.57

$3.48 ₺172

-10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 CHF 3.10

$0.89 ₺43.84

323.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 CHF 76.1

$67.4 ₺3,338

37.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 CHF 6.60

$1.29 ₺64.1

521.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$0.92 ₺45.70

397.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.1 CHF 72.5

$10.96 ₺542

703.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.47 ₺72.9

42.86%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-21.66%

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

$38.2K CHF 31.4K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-14.27%

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

$97.5 CHF 80.3

$88.6 ₺4,387

9.98%

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

$36.42 CHF 30.00

$11.59 ₺574

214.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.14

$15.81 ₺783

254.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.2 CHF 60.3

$77.2 ₺3,820

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 CHF 15.11

$8.14 ₺403

125.43%

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

$3,525 CHF 2,903

$1,008 ₺49.9K

249.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

66.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$54.0 ₺2,671

159.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 CHF 48.72

$40.83 ₺2,021

44.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$98.9 ₺4,895

65.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$250 CHF 206

$96.6 ₺4,783

159.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 CHF 1,481

$985 ₺48.7K

82.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 CHF 1,433

$650 ₺32.2K

167.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,419 CHF 4,463

$1,983 ₺98.2K

173.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,642 CHF 3,823

$1,180 ₺58.4K

293.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,973

$1,780 ₺88.1K

580.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,707 CHF 3,877

$1,205 ₺59.7K

290.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

40.92

-95.60%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: 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

St. Moritz

$1.7K 48.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 62.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

St. Moritz

$656 18.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 60.4% $396

Eating Out

St. Moritz

$499 13.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 55.3% $276

Clothing & Footwear

St. Moritz

$276 7.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 52.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Moritz

$190 5.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 38.9% $74

Getting Around

St. Moritz

$138 3.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 44.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

St. Moritz

$110 3.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 15% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,799 in St. Moritz 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 291% higher in St. Moritz, 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 St. Moritz versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $656 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Moritz

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h ahead of St. Moritz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

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 →

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St. Moritz Istanbul 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – St. Moritz is pricier by about 133%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,413 per month in St. Moritz 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.

Kindergarten costs $3,525 per month in St. Moritz 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 152% more in St. Moritz, 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 St. Moritz at $3,609. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Moritz 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. Moritz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.