Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $3,334 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,334

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,334 per month in Staefa vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Staefa $3,334
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $5,350 per month in Staefa vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Staefa $5,350
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $7,365 per month in Staefa vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Staefa $7,365
Istanbul $3,256

Staefa costs about 119% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Staefa and Istanbul sit above the global median – Staefa by 146%, Istanbul by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.82 CHF 27.03

$11.96 ₺592

174.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 99.3

$57.2 ₺2,834

110.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.37 CHF 13.49

$9.51 ₺471

72.13%

Cappuccino

$6.22 CHF 5.12

$4.40 ₺218

41.36%

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

$5.88 CHF 4.84

$1.75 ₺86.6

236.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CHF 4.12

$0.56 ₺27.57

792.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 CHF 6.80

$4.71 ₺233

75.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 CHF 6.93

$6.14 ₺304

36.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$1.24 ₺61.6

79.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$0.95 ₺47.25

263.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CHF 3.11

$2.28 ₺113

65.35%

Eggs

$8.37 CHF 6.90

$2.45 ₺121

241.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.91 CHF 22.17

$10.56 ₺523

154.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.91 CHF 21.34

$5.50 ₺272

371.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$55.2 CHF 45.46

$21.65 ₺1,072

154.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.86

$1.83 ₺90.6

89.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.27

$2.29 ₺113

20.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.95

$1.28 ₺63.4

179.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 CHF 3.69

$1.82 ₺90.1

146.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$0.66 ₺32.74

277.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$0.63 ₺31.14

261.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CHF 2.05

$1.27 ₺62.8

95.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.06

$0.56 ₺27.62

130.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 CHF 8.88

$2.36 ₺117

357.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 CHF 11.27

$12.98 ₺642

5.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.26

$2.48 ₺123

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.64

$3.50 ₺174

-8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 CHF 3.60

$0.82 ₺40.77

432.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.5

$65.2 ₺3,228

53.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 CHF 6.10

$1.33 ₺65.7

456.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.73 CHF 3.89

$0.90 ₺44.60

425.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.0 CHF 71.7

$10.91 ₺540

697.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$1.43 ₺70.7

63.64%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-20.08%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.5K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-8.58%

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

$236 CHF 194

$88.8 ₺4,395

165.83%

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

$31.65 CHF 26.06

$11.69 ₺579

170.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 CHF 46.52

$16.09 ₺797

251.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.0 CHF 65.1

$76.3 ₺3,776

3.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.96 CHF 37.03

$22.72 ₺1,125

97.89%

Cinema Ticket

$22.08 CHF 18.18

$8.26 ₺409

167.31%

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

$2,812 CHF 2,316

$1,015 ₺50.2K

177.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K CHF 34.7K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

63.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 113

$53.3 ₺2,636

158.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 CHF 49.37

$40.55 ₺2,008

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$100 ₺4,956

47.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 CHF 141

$93.5 ₺4,630

82.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 CHF 1,302

$977 ₺48.4K

61.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 CHF 1,138

$627 ₺31.0K

120.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,894 CHF 2,383

$1,980 ₺98.0K

46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 CHF 2,289

$1,147 ₺56.8K

142.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.3K CHF 14.3K

$3,095 ₺153.2K

459.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

$1,787 ₺88.5K

686.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

40.69

-95.77%

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

Last update for Staefa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Staefa

$1.4K 41.4%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 54.6% $755

Groceries & Markets

Staefa

$637 19.1%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 58.8% $374

Eating Out

Staefa

$488 14.6%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 54.5% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staefa

$324 9.7%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 64% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Staefa

$232 7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 44.3% $103

Getting Around

Staefa

$149 4.5%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 50% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Staefa

$123 3.7%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 24.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,581 in Staefa versus $977 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Staefa versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $637 vs $263 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Staefa

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

1 h ahead of Staefa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,567

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 20, 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 20, 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

Staefa Istanbul 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Staefa
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

Staefa vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staefa is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,002 per month in Staefa and $2,287 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 $2,812 per month in Staefa and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% more in Staefa, 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 $1,525, than in Staefa at $3,334. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staefa 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, Staefa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.