Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajka and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajka: $1,250 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Ajka
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Ajka Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Ajka

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,250

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Ajka versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Ajka $1,250
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,798 in Ajka versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Ajka $1,798
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,346 in Ajka versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Ajka $2,346
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Ajka costs roughly 19% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ajka is 7% below, Istanbul is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.21 Ft 2,974

$12.30 ₺609

-25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 Ft 7,287

$54.7 ₺2,708

-58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 Ft 2,491

$9.22 ₺456

-16.38%

Cappuccino

$1.09 Ft 351

$4.40 ₺218

-75.23%

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

$1.13 Ft 365

$1.68 ₺83.1

-32.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 Ft 185

$0.59 ₺29.40

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 Ft 408

$4.70 ₺233

-73.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 367

$5.91 ₺292

-80.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Ft 378

$1.21 ₺60.0

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 Ft 439

$0.89 ₺44.10

52.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 Ft 783

$2.19 ₺108

10.50%

Eggs

$3.71 Ft 1,200

$2.35 ₺116

57.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 Ft 3,383

$10.42 ₺516

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 Ft 2,064

$5.65 ₺280

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 Ft 5,288

$20.94 ₺1,037

-21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 Ft 731

$1.90 ₺94.1

18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 697

$2.31 ₺114

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 Ft 666

$1.28 ₺63.1

60.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 Ft 1,084

$1.80 ₺89.0

86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$0.65 ₺32.16

58.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 354

$0.64 ₺31.91

71.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Ft 517

$1.25 ₺62.1

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 177

$0.56 ₺27.58

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 Ft 2,588

$2.37 ₺118

237.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 Ft 1,758

$13.42 ₺664

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 391

$2.40 ₺119

-49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$3.48 ₺172

-40.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 Ft 415

$0.89 ₺43.84

44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.41 Ft 7,886

$67.4 ₺3,338

-63.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 Ft 977

$1.29 ₺64.1

134.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 Ft 559

$0.92 ₺45.70

88.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.19 Ft 5,878

$10.96 ₺542

65.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 592

$1.47 ₺72.9

24.49%

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

$29.4K Ft 9.5M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-42.07%

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

$37.4K Ft 12.1M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-16.10%

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

$129 Ft 41.7K

$88.6 ₺4,387

45.60%

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

$21.99 Ft 7,106

$11.59 ₺574

89.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 Ft 6,494

$15.81 ₺783

27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.90 Ft 15.2K

$77.2 ₺3,820

-39.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 Ft 6,146

$22.74 ₺1,126

-16.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 Ft 2,811

$8.14 ₺403

6.88%

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

$253 Ft 81.6K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-74.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,842 Ft 2.2M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-73.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 Ft 37.6K

$54.0 ₺2,671

115.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.27 Ft 10.7K

$40.83 ₺2,021

-18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 Ft 29.8K

$98.9 ₺4,895

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Ft 35.8K

$96.6 ₺4,783

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 Ft 189.7K

$985 ₺48.7K

-40.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 Ft 141.8K

$650 ₺32.2K

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 Ft 214.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 Ft 194.9K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-48.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,832 Ft 915.0K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-9.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,573 Ft 831.4K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

44.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

40.92

-83.70%

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

Last update for Ajka: 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

Ajka

$439 35.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 48.1% $211

Groceries & Markets

Ajka

$251 20.1%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 3.5% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajka

$171 13.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 32.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Ajka

$159 12.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 17.7% $28

Eating Out

Ajka

$125 10%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 78.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Ajka

$64 5.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 45.3% $29

Getting Around

Ajka

$41 3.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 86.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Ajka and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ajka vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $260 per month, with Ajka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Ajka

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h ahead of Ajka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,408

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ajka Istanbul 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajka
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

Ajka vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ajka and Istanbul differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,550 including rent). Ajka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Ajka and $2,325 in Istanbul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $587 in Ajka versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajka runs roughly 176% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $253 in Ajka versus $1,008 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Ajka versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajka but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Ajka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ajka and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ajka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.