Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasov and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,336 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,336

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,336 in Brasov versus $1,519 in Istanbul.

Brasov $1,336
Istanbul $1,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,088 in Brasov versus $2,365 in Istanbul.

Brasov $2,088
Istanbul $2,365

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,839 in Brasov versus $3,212 in Istanbul.

Brasov $2,839
Istanbul $3,212

Living in Brasov costs roughly 12% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 RON 52.0

$11.81 ₺592

-7.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 RON 246

$54.9 ₺2,754

-5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 RON 35.85

$9.26 ₺465

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$3.65 RON 17.33

$4.30 ₺216

-15.12%

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

$2.35 RON 11.19

$1.77 ₺89.0

32.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 RON 10.14

$0.56 ₺28.32

280.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 RON 15.34

$4.69 ₺235

-31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 RON 15.61

$7.12 ₺357

-53.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.59

$1.25 ₺62.7

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 RON 6.58

$0.88 ₺44.17

57.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 RON 8.30

$2.20 ₺111

-20.45%

Eggs

$3.44 RON 16.36

$2.43 ₺122

41.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 RON 41.48

$10.48 ₺526

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 RON 31.52

$5.31 ₺267

24.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 RON 59.7

$21.10 ₺1,058

-40.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.96

$1.86 ₺93.1

-20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 RON 7.49

$2.30 ₺115

-31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.36

$1.22 ₺61.0

27.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 RON 12.70

$1.80 ₺90.2

48.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.84

$0.69 ₺34.83

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.68

$0.64 ₺32.16

21.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 RON 4.10

$1.36 ₺68.0

-36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.65

$0.58 ₺28.94

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 RON 28.72

$2.34 ₺117

158.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 RON 35.77

$13.03 ₺653

-42.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 RON 5.91

$2.36 ₺118

-47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 RON 8.88

$3.32 ₺166

-43.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$0.88 ₺44.07

21.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.27 RON 111

$66.1 ₺3,316

-64.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 3.01

$1.28 ₺64.4

-50.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 RON 3.18

$0.85 ₺42.80

-21.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 RON 31.03

$11.09 ₺556

-41.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 RON 8.98

$1.48 ₺74.0

27.70%

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

$29.1K RON 138.2K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-40.20%

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

$25.0K RON 118.7K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-40.51%

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

$176 RON 836

$92.7 ₺4,650

89.83%

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

$7.40 RON 35.15

$11.20 ₺562

-33.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.17 RON 43.55

$15.89 ₺797

-42.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 RON 260

$74.7 ₺3,745

-26.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.29 RON 63.1

$22.95 ₺1,151

-42.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 RON 45.28

$8.05 ₺404

18.39%

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

$450 RON 2,140

$948 ₺47.6K

-52.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,663 RON 36.4K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-79.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 RON 250

$53.9 ₺2,702

-2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 RON 165

$41.49 ₺2,081

-16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 RON 352

$101 ₺5,060

-26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 RON 422

$91.3 ₺4,580

-2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 RON 3,218

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 RON 2,402

$625 ₺31.3K

-19.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 RON 5,981

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 RON 4,691

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,159 RON 15.0K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

5.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 RON 11.3K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

37.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,126 RON 5,349

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-0.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.23

40.42

-82.11%

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

Last update for Brasov: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasov

$506 37.8%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 23.5% $119

Groceries & Markets

Brasov

$226 16.9%

Istanbul

$258 17% 14.5% $33

Eating Out

Brasov

$195 14.6%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 13.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasov

$193 14.4%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 37.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Brasov

$113 8.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 14.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Brasov

$74 5.5%

Istanbul

$91 6% 23% $17

Getting Around

Brasov

$32 2.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 139% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Brasov and $1,014 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Brasov vs $55 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $258 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Brasov

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h ahead of Brasov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

253,200

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasov Istanbul 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasov
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

Brasov vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,336 in Brasov and $1,519 in Istanbul, so Brasov is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,005 in Brasov and $2,278 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: $677 in Brasov versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $52 versus $55 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,336 per month in Brasov versus $1,519 in Istanbul – Brasov is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Brasov gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Brasov and Istanbul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.