Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swieqi and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,089 in Swieqi, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Swieqi
Learn more

Swieqi Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Swieqi

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,089

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,089 per month in Swieqi vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Swieqi $2,089
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,297 per month in Swieqi vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Swieqi $3,297
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,505 per month in Swieqi vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Swieqi $4,505
Istanbul $3,281

Swieqi costs about 35% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Swieqi and Istanbul sit above the global median – Swieqi by 55%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.71 €14.87

$12.30 ₺609

35.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €59.6

$54.7 ₺2,708

22.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$9.22 ₺456

20.50%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.86

$4.40 ₺218

-26.82%

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

$2.39 €2.13

$1.68 ₺83.1

42.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.59 ₺29.40

213.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.20

$4.70 ₺233

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.05

$5.91 ₺292

-22.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.21 ₺60.0

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.89 ₺44.10

60.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 €3.03

$2.19 ₺108

55.71%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.80

$2.35 ₺116

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 €7.87

$10.42 ₺516

-15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 €8.87

$5.65 ₺280

76.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 €16.01

$20.94 ₺1,037

-14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 €3.32

$1.90 ₺94.1

96.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.31 ₺114

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$1.28 ₺63.1

117.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.28

$1.80 ₺89.0

104.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.65 ₺32.16

186.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$0.64 ₺31.91

290.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.25 ₺62.1

37.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.56 ₺27.58

58.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.59

$2.37 ₺118

164.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 €5.33

$13.42 ₺664

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.40 ₺119

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.04

$3.48 ₺172

-33.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.06

$0.89 ₺43.84

160.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.41 €12.82

$67.4 ₺3,338

-78.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$1.29 ₺64.1

198.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.63

$0.92 ₺45.70

98.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.02 €29.38

$10.96 ₺542

201.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.47 ₺72.9

1.36%

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

$27.5K €24.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-45.91%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-12.48%

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

$125 €111

$88.6 ₺4,387

40.86%

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

$22.22 €19.77

$11.59 ₺574

91.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 €26.48

$15.81 ₺783

88.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €57.7

$77.2 ₺3,820

-15.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 €14.17

$22.74 ₺1,126

-29.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 €7.89

$8.14 ₺403

8.97%

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

$222 €197

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-78.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-51.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 €50.8

$54.0 ₺2,671

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 €50.3

$40.83 ₺2,021

38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.9

$98.9 ₺4,895

13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €113

$96.6 ₺4,783

32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,142

$985 ₺48.7K

30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €961

$650 ₺32.2K

66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 €2,807

$1,983 ₺98.2K

59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 €1,903

$1,180 ₺58.4K

81.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,950 €3,513

$3,138 ₺155.4K

25.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 €2,462

$1,780 ₺88.1K

55.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 €1,262

$1,205 ₺59.7K

17.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.01

40.92

-90.20%

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

Last update for Swieqi: 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

Swieqi

$1.1K 51.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 39.9% $431

Groceries & Markets

Swieqi

$303 14.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 14.3% $43

Eating Out

Swieqi

$250 12%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 10.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swieqi

$177 8.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 34.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Swieqi

$159 7.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 17.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Swieqi

$83 4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 13.1% $11

Getting Around

Swieqi

$37 1.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 110% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,283 in Swieqi 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 Swieqi, 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 $67.0 in Swieqi versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Swieqi

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

21:25 9:25 PM

1 h ahead of Swieqi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Swieqi Istanbul 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Swieqi
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

Swieqi vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Swieqi is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,133 per month in Swieqi 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 $222 per month in Swieqi 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 17% more in Swieqi, 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 Swieqi at $2,089. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swieqi 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, Swieqi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.