Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,329 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,329 per month in Yens vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yens $3,329
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $5,100 per month in Yens vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yens $5,100
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $6,872 per month in Yens vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Yens $6,872
Istanbul $3,281

Yens costs about 115% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Yens and Istanbul sit above the global median – Yens by 147%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$12.30 ₺609

138.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.0

$54.7 ₺2,708

117.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 CHF 13.14

$9.22 ₺456

72.99%

Cappuccino

$6.00 CHF 4.94

$4.40 ₺218

36.36%

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

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$1.68 ₺83.1

194.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 CHF 3.51

$0.59 ₺29.40

623.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.07 CHF 7.47

$4.70 ₺233

92.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 CHF 6.34

$5.91 ₺292

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$1.21 ₺60.0

76.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CHF 2.46

$0.89 ₺44.10

235.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$2.19 ₺108

45.21%

Eggs

$7.17 CHF 5.91

$2.35 ₺116

205.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.95 CHF 19.73

$10.42 ₺516

129.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 23.11

$5.65 ₺280

396.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.38 CHF 32.44

$20.94 ₺1,037

88.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$1.90 ₺94.1

91.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CHF 1.61

$2.31 ₺114

-15.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$1.28 ₺63.1

96.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$1.80 ₺89.0

146.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 CHF 1.34

$0.65 ₺32.16

149.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$0.64 ₺31.91

203.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 CHF 1.63

$1.25 ₺62.1

58.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.05

$0.56 ₺27.58

126.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.70 CHF 8.81

$2.37 ₺118

351.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$13.42 ₺664

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$2.40 ₺119

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.48 ₺172

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$0.89 ₺43.84

414.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 81.0

$67.4 ₺3,338

45.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.34

$1.29 ₺64.1

496.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.56 CHF 3.75

$0.92 ₺45.70

395.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.2 CHF 69.3

$10.96 ₺542

668.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.94

$1.47 ₺72.9

60.54%

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

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-17.52%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-10.84%

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

$274 CHF 225

$88.6 ₺4,387

208.84%

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

$27.35 CHF 22.52

$11.59 ₺574

135.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CHF 42.31

$15.81 ₺783

224.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.8

$77.2 ₺3,820

16.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 CHF 37.48

$22.74 ₺1,126

100.13%

Cinema Ticket

$24.00 CHF 19.76

$8.14 ₺403

194.84%

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

$2,954 CHF 2,433

$1,008 ₺49.9K

193.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

18.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$54.0 ₺2,671

161.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 50.6

$40.83 ₺2,021

50.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$98.9 ₺4,895

39.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 CHF 162

$96.6 ₺4,783

104.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 CHF 1,383

$985 ₺48.7K

70.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$650 ₺32.2K

121.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 CHF 2,338

$1,983 ₺98.2K

43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 CHF 2,054

$1,180 ₺58.4K

111.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

415.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,900

$1,780 ₺88.1K

575.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

40.92

-95.23%

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

Last update for Yens: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yens

$1.4K 43.3%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 54.9% $790

Groceries & Markets

Yens

$558 16.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 53.5% $298

Eating Out

Yens

$452 13.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 50.6% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yens

$352 10.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 67.1% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Yens

$242 7.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 46% $111

Getting Around

Yens

$147 4.4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 47.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Yens

$138 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 32.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,679 in Yens 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Yens versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $558 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Yens

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

1 h ahead of Yens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,200

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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Between locations

Yens Istanbul 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Yens
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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

Yens vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yens is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,993 per month in Yens 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 $2,954 per month in Yens 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 115% more in Yens, 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 Yens at $3,329. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yens 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, Yens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.