Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Esztergom and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Esztergom: $1,307 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Esztergom
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Esztergom Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Esztergom

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,307

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Esztergom vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Esztergom $1,307
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,042 per month in Esztergom vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Esztergom $2,042
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,776 per month in Esztergom vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Esztergom $2,776
Istanbul $3,281

Esztergom is about 16% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Esztergom sits 3% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 Ft 3,956

$12.30 ₺609

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

$54.7 ₺2,708

-4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 Ft 2,931

$9.22 ₺456

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$2.66 Ft 860

$4.40 ₺218

-39.55%

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

$1.98 Ft 638

$1.68 ₺83.1

17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Ft 380

$0.59 ₺29.40

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 Ft 969

$4.70 ₺233

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Ft 893

$5.91 ₺292

-53.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 375

$1.21 ₺60.0

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 Ft 465

$0.89 ₺44.10

61.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 Ft 781

$2.19 ₺108

10.50%

Eggs

$3.17 Ft 1,024

$2.35 ₺116

34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 Ft 3,546

$10.42 ₺516

5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 Ft 2,013

$5.65 ₺280

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 Ft 4,422

$20.94 ₺1,037

-34.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 Ft 804

$1.90 ₺94.1

31.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 689

$2.31 ₺114

-7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 Ft 688

$1.28 ₺63.1

66.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 Ft 1,316

$1.80 ₺89.0

126.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 387

$0.65 ₺32.16

84.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 409

$0.64 ₺31.91

98.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 Ft 572

$1.25 ₺62.1

41.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Ft 169

$0.56 ₺27.58

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 Ft 2,550

$2.37 ₺118

232.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 Ft 2,023

$13.42 ₺664

-53.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 396

$2.40 ₺119

-48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 Ft 523

$3.48 ₺172

-53.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 Ft 388

$0.89 ₺43.84

34.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 Ft 7,990

$67.4 ₺3,338

-63.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Ft 1,011

$1.29 ₺64.1

142.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 Ft 508

$0.92 ₺45.70

70.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 Ft 5,813

$10.96 ₺542

64.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 592

$1.47 ₺72.9

24.49%

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

$32.9K Ft 10.6M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-35.29%

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

$35.7K Ft 11.5M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-19.85%

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

$155 Ft 50.2K

$88.6 ₺4,387

75.36%

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

$33.19 Ft 10.7K

$11.59 ₺574

186.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.01 Ft 8,728

$15.81 ₺783

70.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 Ft 16.7K

$77.2 ₺3,820

-33.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 Ft 5,802

$22.74 ₺1,126

-21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 Ft 2,405

$8.14 ₺403

-8.60%

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

$249 Ft 80.4K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-75.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,327 Ft 2.4M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-71.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 Ft 28.5K

$54.0 ₺2,671

63.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.33 Ft 8,829

$40.83 ₺2,021

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 Ft 32.2K

$98.9 ₺4,895

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 34.0K

$96.6 ₺4,783

9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 Ft 172.4K

$985 ₺48.7K

-45.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 Ft 129.6K

$650 ₺32.2K

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 Ft 278.0K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 Ft 238.8K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-37.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 Ft 896.6K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-11.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 Ft 845.0K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

46.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,185 Ft 382.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-1.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

40.92

-79.84%

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

Last update for Esztergom: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Esztergom

$401 30.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 61.9% $249

Groceries & Markets

Esztergom

$249 19%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 4.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Esztergom

$216 16.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 46.2% $100

Eating Out

Esztergom

$190 14.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 17.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Esztergom

$144 11%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 9.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Esztergom

$67 5.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 40.5% $27

Getting Around

Esztergom

$41 3.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 89.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Esztergom 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 2% higher in Istanbul, 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 $52.0 in Esztergom versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $260 – making Esztergom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Esztergom

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

20:58 8:58 PM

1 h ahead of Esztergom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,642

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 = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Esztergom Istanbul 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Esztergom
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

Esztergom vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 19% more than Esztergom, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Esztergom 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 Esztergom, 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 $52.0 in Esztergom and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,307 in Esztergom and $1,550 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Esztergom, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Esztergom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Esztergom costs $1,307 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 Esztergom. 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.