Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tembisa and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tembisa: $1,106 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Tembisa
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Tembisa Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Tembisa

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,106

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,106 per month in Tembisa vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tembisa $1,106
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,692 per month in Tembisa vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tembisa $1,692
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $2,279 per month in Tembisa vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tembisa $2,279
Istanbul $3,256

Tembisa is about 27% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tembisa sits 18% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.55 R 157

$11.96 ₺592

-20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.71 R 671

$57.2 ₺2,834

-28.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 R 93.5

$9.51 ₺471

-40.38%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.98

$4.40 ₺218

-49.09%

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

$1.05 R 17.34

$1.75 ₺86.6

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.40

$0.56 ₺27.57

55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 R 39.79

$4.71 ₺233

-48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R 45.74

$6.14 ₺304

-54.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.90

$1.24 ₺61.6

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.68

$0.95 ₺47.25

18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.88

$2.28 ₺113

-23.25%

Eggs

$2.54 R 41.85

$2.45 ₺121

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 R 143

$10.56 ₺523

-17.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 R 83.7

$5.50 ₺272

-7.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 R 122

$21.65 ₺1,072

-65.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.57

$1.83 ₺90.6

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.65

$2.29 ₺113

-26.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$1.28 ₺63.4

41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.52

$1.82 ₺90.1

-8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.22

$0.66 ₺32.74

131.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 R 23.09

$0.63 ₺31.14

122.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.48

$1.27 ₺62.8

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 17.35

$0.56 ₺27.62

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 R 59.5

$2.36 ₺117

52.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 R 87.5

$12.98 ₺642

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.50

$2.48 ₺123

-42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.68

$3.50 ₺174

-48.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 R 22.38

$0.82 ₺40.77

65.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 R 11.20

$1.33 ₺65.7

-48.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 R 16.21

$0.90 ₺44.60

8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.10 R 183

$10.91 ₺540

1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.38

$1.43 ₺70.7

7.69%

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

$32.4K R 534.0K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-34.62%

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

$31.7K R 521.5K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-26.70%

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

$148 R 2,438

$88.8 ₺4,395

66.69%

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

$31.88 R 525

$11.69 ₺579

172.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.41 R 633

$16.09 ₺797

138.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.17 R 530

$76.3 ₺3,776

-57.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.83 R 162

$22.72 ₺1,125

-56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R 105

$8.26 ₺409

-23.24%

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

$246 R 4,057

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-75.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,091 R 100.3K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-76.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 R 993

$53.3 ₺2,636

13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 R 611

$40.55 ₺2,008

-8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,665

$100 ₺4,956

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 R 1,358

$93.5 ₺4,630

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R 6,686

$977 ₺48.4K

-58.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,008

$627 ₺31.0K

-41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R 11.3K

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-65.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 R 11.1K

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$942 R 15.5K

$3,095 ₺153.2K

-69.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$694 R 11.4K

$1,787 ₺88.5K

-61.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 R 9,454

$1,213 ₺60.1K

-52.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

40.69

-73.11%

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

Last update for Tembisa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tembisa

$365 33%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 71.9% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tembisa

$218 19.7%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 46.6% $102

Groceries & Markets

Tembisa

$195 17.6%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 34.6% $67

Eating Out

Tembisa

$146 13.2%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 52.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Tembisa

$126 11.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 2.3% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Tembisa

$45 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 107% $48

Getting Around

Tembisa

$11 * 1%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 574% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Tembisa 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.

Salaries run about 111% higher in Istanbul, 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 $41.00 in Tembisa versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $263 – making Tembisa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Tembisa

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

1 h ahead of Tembisa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,109

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 20, 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 20, 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

Tembisa Istanbul 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tembisa
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

Tembisa vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,659 per month in Tembisa 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 Tembisa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Tembisa and $57.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tembisa, where all-in costs run around $1,106, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Tembisa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tembisa – 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 Tembisa. 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.