Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galati and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,284 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Galati
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Galati Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Galati

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,284

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,284 per month in Galati vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Galati $1,284
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,737 per month in Galati vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Galati $1,737
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,190 per month in Galati vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Galati $2,190
Istanbul $3,212

Galati is about 15% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Galati sits 5% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 RON 49.33

$11.81 ₺591

-12.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.21 RON 196

$54.9 ₺2,747

-24.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 RON 34.25

$9.26 ₺463

-22.14%

Cappuccino

$2.45 RON 11.65

$4.30 ₺215

-43.02%

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

$2.03 RON 9.65

$1.77 ₺88.8

14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 9.05

$0.56 ₺28.25

239.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.16

$4.69 ₺234

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 RON 15.10

$7.12 ₺356

-55.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 RON 5.67

$1.25 ₺62.6

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 RON 3.28

$0.88 ₺44.05

-21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 RON 8.12

$2.20 ₺110

-22.27%

Eggs

$3.47 RON 16.49

$2.43 ₺122

42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 RON 36.88

$10.48 ₺524

-25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 RON 27.93

$5.31 ₺266

10.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 RON 40.92

$21.10 ₺1,056

-59.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

$1.86 ₺92.8

-30.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.87

$2.30 ₺115

-27.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 RON 7.44

$1.22 ₺60.8

27.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 RON 8.40

$1.80 ₺89.9

-1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.48

$0.69 ₺34.74

36.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 RON 4.98

$0.64 ₺32.08

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$1.36 ₺67.8

-36.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RON 3.24

$0.58 ₺28.87

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 RON 27.49

$2.34 ₺117

147.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 RON 24.58

$13.03 ₺652

-60.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.48

$2.36 ₺118

-60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 RON 5.62

$3.32 ₺166

-64.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.39

$0.88 ₺43.96

-19.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.77 RON 127

$66.1 ₺3,307

-59.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 RON 3.45

$1.28 ₺64.3

-42.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 RON 3.83

$0.85 ₺42.69

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 RON 34.61

$11.09 ₺555

-34.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RON 8.72

$1.48 ₺73.8

23.65%

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

$29.0K RON 137.8K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-40.38%

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

$25.2K RON 119.6K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-40.08%

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

$150 RON 712

$92.7 ₺4,638

61.49%

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

$7.81 RON 37.11

$11.20 ₺560

-30.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.08 RON 38.41

$15.89 ₺795

-49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 RON 176

$74.7 ₺3,736

-50.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 RON 169

$22.95 ₺1,148

54.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 RON 30.44

$8.05 ₺403

-20.37%

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

$594 RON 2,822

$948 ₺47.4K

-37.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,370 RON 30.3K

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-82.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 RON 460

$53.9 ₺2,695

79.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.27 RON 149

$41.49 ₺2,075

-24.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 RON 286

$101 ₺5,047

-40.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 RON 390

$91.3 ₺4,568

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 RON 3,399

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 RON 2,669

$625 ₺31.2K

-10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 RON 3,716

$2,005 ₺100.3K

-61.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 RON 2,689

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-49.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,711 RON 8,133

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-42.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 RON 6,097

$1,730 ₺86.5K

-25.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,046 RON 4,971

$1,136 ₺56.8K

-7.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

40.42

-82.19%

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

Last update for Galati: November 1, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galati

$562 43.8%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 11.2% $63

Groceries & Markets

Galati

$184 14.3%

Istanbul

$258 17% 40.7% $75

Eating Out

Galati

$167 13%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 32.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galati

$166 12.9%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 27.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Galati

$122 9.5%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 6.4% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Galati

$50 3.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 81.9% $41

Getting Around

Galati

$34 2.7%

Istanbul

$75 5% 119% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $715 in Galati versus $1,014 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 9% 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 $41 in Galati versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $258 – making Galati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Galati

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

1 h ahead of Galati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,432

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 = 2 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 5, 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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From you

Galati
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

Galati vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,284 in Galati, $1,519 in Istanbul – Galati comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,925 per month in Galati and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Galati, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $715 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,284 in Galati and $1,519 in Istanbul. That makes Galati about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Galati. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,284 in Galati and $1,519 in Istanbul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Galati – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Galati. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.