Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bedzin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedzin: $1,458 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Bedzin
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,458
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bedzin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Bedzin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,458 in Bedzin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Bedzin $1,458

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,078 in Bedzin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Bedzin $2,078

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,698 in Bedzin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Bedzin $2,698

Istanbul costs about 6% more than Bedzin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Bedzin sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Bedzin by 8%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$10.09 zł 39.20
21.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$47.63 zł 185
14.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$8.93 zł 34.68
3.25%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$3.46 zł 13.43
27.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$1.87 zł 7.28
-10.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$1.45 zł 5.62
-59.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$3.17 zł 12.32
48.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$3.28 zł 12.73
80.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$0.92 zł 3.56
31.52%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$1.30 zł 5.03
-31.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.41 zł 5.47
55.32%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.21 zł 12.49
-26.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$8.87 zł 34.46
17.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$5.34 zł 20.73
5.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$12.22 zł 47.49
71.36%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$1.06 zł 4.10
79.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.67 zł 6.50
38.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$1.65 zł 6.43
-22.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$2.61 zł 10.13
-31.03%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$0.84 zł 3.25
-22.62%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.05 zł 4.08
-39.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.25 zł 4.86
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.48 zł 1.87
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$5.13 zł 19.92
-53.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$6.49 zł 25.23
106.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.14 zł 4.42
110.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.50 zł 5.83
132.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$1.06 zł 4.10
-16.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$30.68 zł 119
119.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$1.88 zł 7.31
-31.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$0.83 zł 3.22
10.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$9.22 zł 35.83
18.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.72 zł 6.69
-14.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$32.6K zł 126.8K
55.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$26.2K zł 101.7K
70.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$274 zł 1,066
-67.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$8.63 zł 33.53
34.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$17.15 zł 66.6
-7.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$37.94 zł 147
103.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$23.05 zł 89.5
-1.34%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$8.05 zł 31.29
1.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$379 zł 1,472
166.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$8,794 zł 34.2K
190.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$81.0 zł 315
-33.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$42.22 zł 164
-3.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$97.9 zł 380
1.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$97.0 zł 377
-0.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$519 zł 2,015
89.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$533 zł 2,070
21.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$892 zł 3,464
122.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$773 zł 3,003
52.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$3,212 zł 12.5K
-2.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$2,438 zł 9,472
-27.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Bedzin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$935 zł 3,634
28.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
6.68
512.57%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bedzin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Bedzin
$533 18% $117
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Bedzin
$203 22% $57
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Bedzin
$185 17.3% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Bedzin
$143 9.6% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Bedzin
$300 159% $184
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Bedzin
$54 42.2% $39
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Bedzin
$41 46.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $519 in Bedzin. 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 29% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $48.00 in Bedzin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $203 – making Bedzin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇵🇱 Bedzin
🕒 Local time
17:17 5:17 PM
16:17 4:17 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
55,542
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Bedzin 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Bedzin

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
Istanbul vs Bedzin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bedzin cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,188 in Bedzin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bedzin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Bedzin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,458 in Bedzin. That's a gap of about 6%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 120% less in Bedzin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Bedzin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bedzin, where all-in costs run around $1,458, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Bedzin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Bedzin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bedzin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Bedzin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bedzin. 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.

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