Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Constanta and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Constanta: $1,335 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.

63

Cost of Living Index in Constanta
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Constanta Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Constanta

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,335

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,335 in Constanta versus $1,519 in Istanbul.

Constanta $1,335
Istanbul $1,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,971 in Constanta versus $2,365 in Istanbul.

Constanta $1,971
Istanbul $2,365

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,608 in Constanta versus $3,212 in Istanbul.

Constanta $2,608
Istanbul $3,212

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 RON 65.2

$11.81 ₺592

16.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 RON 299

$54.9 ₺2,754

14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 RON 35.76

$9.26 ₺465

-18.68%

Cappuccino

$3.33 RON 15.83

$4.30 ₺216

-22.56%

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

$1.87 RON 8.88

$1.77 ₺89.0

5.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 RON 6.40

$0.56 ₺28.32

141.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 RON 10.40

$4.69 ₺235

-53.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 RON 14.70

$7.12 ₺357

-56.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 RON 7.79

$1.25 ₺62.7

31.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 RON 5.61

$0.88 ₺44.17

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 RON 8.07

$2.20 ₺111

-22.73%

Eggs

$3.00 RON 14.27

$2.43 ₺122

23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 RON 40.21

$10.48 ₺526

-19.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 RON 27.50

$5.31 ₺267

9.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 RON 43.06

$21.10 ₺1,058

-57.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 6.20

$1.86 ₺93.1

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.30 ₺115

-29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.35

$1.22 ₺61.0

27.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 RON 12.59

$1.80 ₺90.2

47.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.32

$0.69 ₺34.83

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.77

$0.64 ₺32.16

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.88

$1.36 ₺68.0

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 4.07

$0.58 ₺28.94

48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 RON 29.06

$2.34 ₺117

161.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 RON 29.80

$13.03 ₺653

-51.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 RON 5.06

$2.36 ₺118

-55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.32

$3.32 ₺166

-47.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 RON 2.87

$0.88 ₺44.07

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.59 RON 88.3

$66.1 ₺3,316

-71.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 RON 3.94

$1.28 ₺64.4

-35.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 RON 3.62

$0.85 ₺42.80

-10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.18 RON 34.11

$11.09 ₺556

-35.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RON 8.76

$1.48 ₺74.0

24.32%

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

$29.0K RON 137.6K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-40.48%

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

$25.4K RON 120.8K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-39.45%

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

$167 RON 792

$92.7 ₺4,650

79.88%

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

$7.62 RON 36.18

$11.20 ₺562

-31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.79 RON 37.00

$15.89 ₺797

-50.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 RON 246

$74.7 ₺3,745

-30.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 RON 65.3

$22.95 ₺1,151

-40.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 RON 32.20

$8.05 ₺404

-15.78%

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

$558 RON 2,650

$948 ₺47.6K

-41.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,617 RON 45.7K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-73.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 RON 309

$53.9 ₺2,702

20.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.07 RON 219

$41.49 ₺2,081

11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 RON 426

$101 ₺5,060

-11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 RON 413

$91.3 ₺4,580

-4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 RON 3,296

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 RON 2,494

$625 ₺31.3K

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 RON 4,946

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 RON 3,452

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-35.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,635 RON 12.5K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-11.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 RON 9,483

$1,730 ₺86.8K

15.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$978 RON 4,645

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-13.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

40.42

-82.71%

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

Last update for Constanta: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Constanta

$525 39.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 19% $100

Groceries & Markets

Constanta

$205 15.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 26.2% $54

Eating Out

Constanta

$202 15.2%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 9.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Constanta

$182 13.7%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 34.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Constanta

$130 9.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Constanta

$65 4.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 38.8% $25

Getting Around

Constanta

$26 1.9%

Istanbul

$75 5% 193% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Constanta and $1,014 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Constanta vs $55 in Istanbul. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $258, with Constanta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Constanta

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h ahead of Constanta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,872

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 = 5.33 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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Constanta Istanbul 350 km

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Constanta
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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

Constanta vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Constanta is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Constanta. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $694 in Constanta 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 Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55 versus $63 in Constanta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,335 per month in Constanta versus $1,519 in Istanbul – Constanta is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,335 in Constanta versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Constanta but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Constanta 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, Constanta and Istanbul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Constanta wins on affordability, Istanbul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.