Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabbar and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,847 in Zabbar, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zabbar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Zabbar
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Zabbar Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Zabbar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,847

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,847 per month in Zabbar vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabbar $1,847
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,659 per month in Zabbar vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabbar $2,659
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Zabbar vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabbar $3,472
Istanbul $3,281

Zabbar costs about 19% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Zabbar and Istanbul sit above the global median – Zabbar by 37%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €15.18

$12.30 ₺609

38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.38 €34.14

$54.7 ₺2,708

-29.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 €6.81

$9.22 ₺456

-16.92%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.39

$4.40 ₺218

-39.09%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$1.68 ₺83.1

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.62

$0.59 ₺29.40

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.70 ₺233

-51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 €3.93

$5.91 ₺292

-25.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.21 ₺60.0

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.89 ₺44.10

-35.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.19 ₺108

-47.95%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.48

$2.35 ₺116

66.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 €5.06

$10.42 ₺516

-45.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 €3.89

$5.65 ₺280

-22.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 €8.96

$20.94 ₺1,037

-51.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.90 ₺94.1

124.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.31 ₺114

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.16

$1.28 ₺63.1

177.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.80 ₺89.0

87.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$0.65 ₺32.16

289.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.64 ₺31.91

207.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.25 ₺62.1

76.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.56 ₺27.58

103.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.80

$2.37 ₺118

175.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.07

$13.42 ₺664

-40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.40 ₺119

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.13

$3.48 ₺172

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.25

$0.89 ₺43.84

183.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.81 €14.95

$67.4 ₺3,338

-75.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.79

$1.29 ₺64.1

317.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.97

$0.92 ₺45.70

141.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 €23.57

$10.96 ₺542

141.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.47 ₺72.9

3.40%

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

$37.1K €33.0K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-26.95%

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

$38.7K €34.4K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-13.11%

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

$103 €91.9

$88.6 ₺4,387

16.60%

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

$25.52 €22.70

$11.59 ₺574

120.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 €37.46

$15.81 ₺783

166.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 €55.3

$77.2 ₺3,820

-19.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.03 €9.81

$22.74 ₺1,126

-51.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 €9.05

$8.14 ₺403

24.94%

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

$359 €320

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-64.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,249 €2,001

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-91.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

60.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.65

$40.83 ₺2,021

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.8

$98.9 ₺4,895

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 €70.1

$96.6 ₺4,783

-18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €997

$985 ₺48.7K

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$650 ₺32.2K

46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 €1,590

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,324

$1,180 ₺58.4K

26.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,086 €3,635

$3,138 ₺155.4K

30.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,051 €3,603

$1,780 ₺88.1K

127.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 €1,006

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-6.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

40.92

-92.91%

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

Last update for Zabbar: 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

Zabbar

$951 51.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 31.6% $301

Groceries & Markets

Zabbar

$239 12.9%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 8.8% $21

Eating Out

Zabbar

$224 12.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zabbar

$171 9.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 32.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Zabbar

$137 7.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 4.6% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Zabbar

$83 4.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 13.3% $11

Getting Around

Zabbar

$43 2.4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 77.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,121 in Zabbar 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 7% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Zabbar versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $260 – making Zabbar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Zabbar

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:40 2:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

1 h ahead of Zabbar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,404

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

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Between locations

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

From you

Zabbar
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

Zabbar vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zabbar is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,770 per month in Zabbar 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 $359 per month in Zabbar and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Zabbar – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Zabbar at $1,847. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zabbar 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, Zabbar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.