Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Bialystok: $1,450 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Bialystok
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Bialystok Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Bialystok

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,450

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,450 per month in Bialystok vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bialystok $1,450
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Bialystok vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bialystok $2,061
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,672 per month in Bialystok vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Bialystok $2,672
Istanbul $3,281

Bialystok is about 6% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bialystok and Istanbul sit above the global median – Bialystok by 7%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 zł 38.15

$12.30 ₺609

-20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 zł 177

$54.7 ₺2,708

-16.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 zł 35.02

$9.22 ₺456

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$3.60 zł 13.99

$4.40 ₺218

-18.18%

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

$1.80 zł 6.99

$1.68 ₺83.1

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 zł 6.11

$0.59 ₺29.40

166.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 zł 13.48

$4.70 ₺233

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 zł 11.77

$5.91 ₺292

-48.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 zł 4.11

$1.21 ₺60.0

-12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 zł 3.93

$0.89 ₺44.10

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 zł 8.63

$2.19 ₺108

1.37%

Eggs

$3.82 zł 14.84

$2.35 ₺116

62.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 zł 35.94

$10.42 ₺516

-11.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 zł 22.47

$5.65 ₺280

2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 zł 43.63

$20.94 ₺1,037

-46.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 zł 4.68

$1.90 ₺94.1

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 zł 7.09

$2.31 ₺114

-20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 zł 6.08

$1.28 ₺63.1

22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 zł 7.78

$1.80 ₺89.0

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.05

$0.65 ₺32.16

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.54

$0.64 ₺31.91

82.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.35

$1.25 ₺62.1

-10.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.40

$0.56 ₺27.58

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 zł 19.70

$2.37 ₺118

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 zł 24.45

$13.42 ₺664

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 zł 4.47

$2.40 ₺119

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 zł 5.66

$3.48 ₺172

-58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.26

$0.89 ₺43.84

23.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.94 zł 128

$67.4 ₺3,338

-51.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 zł 7.81

$1.29 ₺64.1

55.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 zł 2.52

$0.92 ₺45.70

-29.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.95 zł 50.3

$10.96 ₺542

18.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 zł 6.01

$1.47 ₺72.9

5.44%

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

$30.2K zł 117.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-40.50%

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

$27.0K zł 105.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-39.30%

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

$298 zł 1,157

$88.6 ₺4,387

236.12%

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

$8.38 zł 32.54

$11.59 ₺574

-27.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 zł 69.9

$15.81 ₺783

13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 zł 161

$77.2 ₺3,820

-46.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.66 zł 107

$22.74 ₺1,126

21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 zł 26.08

$8.14 ₺403

-17.57%

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

$359 zł 1,394

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-64.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 zł 16.6K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-83.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 zł 383

$54.0 ₺2,671

82.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.27 zł 141

$40.83 ₺2,021

-11.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 zł 334

$98.9 ₺4,895

-13.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 zł 349

$96.6 ₺4,783

-6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 zł 2,101

$985 ₺48.7K

-45.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 zł 1,925

$650 ₺32.2K

-23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 zł 3,187

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 zł 2,799

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-38.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 zł 10.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-16.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,272 zł 8,826

$1,780 ₺88.1K

27.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 zł 5,680

$1,205 ₺59.7K

21.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

40.92

-82.72%

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

Last update for Bialystok: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bialystok

$496 34.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 31.1% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bialystok

$324 22.4%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 64.2% $208

Groceries & Markets

Bialystok

$207 14.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 25.4% $53

Eating Out

Bialystok

$186 12.8%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 20.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Bialystok

$140 9.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 6.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bialystok

$55 3.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 70.5% $39

Getting Around

Bialystok

$43 2.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 80.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Bialystok 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 21% higher in Bialystok, 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 $46.00 in Bialystok versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $260 – making Bialystok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bialystok

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h ahead of Bialystok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,554

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bialystok Istanbul 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bialystok
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

Bialystok vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 7% more than Bialystok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Bialystok 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 Bialystok, 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 Bialystok 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 25% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bialystok, where all-in costs run around $1,450, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Bialystok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bialystok costs $1,450 versus $1,550 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bialystok. 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.