Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zejtun and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,943 in Zejtun, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Zejtun
Learn more

Zejtun Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Zejtun

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,943

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,943 per month in Zejtun vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zejtun $1,943
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,975 per month in Zejtun vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zejtun $2,975
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,007 per month in Zejtun vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zejtun $4,007
Istanbul $3,281

Zejtun costs about 25% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zejtun and Istanbul sit above the global median – Zejtun by 44%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 €20.17

$12.30 ₺609

84.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 €79.0

$54.7 ₺2,708

62.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 €11.79

$9.22 ₺456

43.71%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$4.40 ₺218

-50.00%

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

$2.31 €2.06

$1.68 ₺83.1

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$0.59 ₺29.40

45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.83

$4.70 ₺233

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.83

$5.91 ₺292

10.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.21 ₺60.0

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.89 ₺44.10

56.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 €3.14

$2.19 ₺108

61.19%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.85

$2.35 ₺116

83.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 €9.31

$10.42 ₺516

0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 €10.72

$5.65 ₺280

113.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.86 €15.88

$20.94 ₺1,037

-14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.33

$1.90 ₺94.1

97.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.31 ₺114

20.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 €3.43

$1.28 ₺63.1

201.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 €3.29

$1.80 ₺89.0

105.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$0.65 ₺32.16

187.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 €3.05

$0.64 ₺31.91

435.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.25 ₺62.1

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.39

$0.56 ₺27.58

178.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 €5.57

$2.37 ₺118

164.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 €5.32

$13.42 ₺664

-55.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.40 ₺119

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.48 ₺172

-35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.15

$0.89 ₺43.84

171.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.42

$1.29 ₺64.1

198.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$0.92 ₺45.70

91.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.12 €29.46

$10.96 ₺542

202.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.47 ₺72.9

1.36%

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

$27.6K €24.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-45.67%

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

$39.1K €34.7K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-12.30%

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

$55.9 €49.70

$88.6 ₺4,387

-36.95%

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

$22.65 €20.14

$11.59 ₺574

95.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 €26.27

$15.81 ₺783

86.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 €54.5

$77.2 ₺3,820

-20.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 €8.83

$8.14 ₺403

21.99%

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

$275 €245

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-72.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.9K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-51.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 €50.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.62 €24.57

$40.83 ₺2,021

-32.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €100

$98.9 ₺4,895

13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

$96.6 ₺4,783

34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 €1,018

$985 ₺48.7K

16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$650 ₺32.2K

45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,390

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,310

$1,180 ₺58.4K

24.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,497 €4,000

$3,138 ₺155.4K

43.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,627 €2,337

$1,780 ₺88.1K

47.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,212 €1,078

$1,205 ₺59.7K

0.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

40.92

-90.10%

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

Last update for Zejtun: 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

Zejtun

$942 48.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 31% $292

Groceries & Markets

Zejtun

$342 17.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 24% $82

Eating Out

Zejtun

$300 15.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 25.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Zejtun

$147 7.6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 11% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zejtun

$108 5.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 7.4% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Zejtun

$81 4.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 15.2% $12

Getting Around

Zejtun

$22 * 1.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 244% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,144 in Zejtun 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 1% higher in Zejtun, 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 $89.0 in Zejtun versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Zejtun

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

15:32 3:32 PM

1 h ahead of Zejtun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,508

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

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

From you

Zejtun
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

Zejtun vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zejtun is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,914 per month in Zejtun 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Zejtun and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Zejtun, 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 Zejtun at $1,943. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zejtun 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, Zejtun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.