Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Békéscsaba

For one person, living is cheaper in Békéscsaba: $1,117 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Békéscsaba
Learn more

Békéscsaba Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Békéscsaba

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Békéscsaba

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 Békéscsaba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,117 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Békéscsaba $1,117

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,626 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Békéscsaba $1,626

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,136 in Békéscsaba, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Békéscsaba $2,136

Istanbul costs about 37% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Békéscsaba is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$8.90 Ft 2,895

33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$44.10 Ft 14.3K

24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.52 Ft 1,795

65.58%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.08 Ft 677

103.85%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.34 Ft 436

30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.91 Ft 296

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.06 Ft 344

342.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.21 Ft 393

393.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.15 Ft 373

9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.49 Ft 486

-36.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.16 Ft 704

6.94%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.27 Ft 1,065

-24.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.02 Ft 3,260

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.80 Ft 2,212

-17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.57 Ft 4,739

45.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.91 Ft 623

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.05 Ft 666

11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.50 Ft 489

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.71 Ft 883

-32.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.93 Ft 302

-27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.02 Ft 333

-42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.10 Ft 357

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.48 Ft 157

22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$8.12 Ft 2,641

-70.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$3.14 Ft 1,021

328.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.05 Ft 342

130.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.11 Ft 685

67.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.24 Ft 402

-33.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$2.81 Ft 914

-51.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.37 Ft 447

-37.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$6.15 Ft 2,000

76.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.82 Ft 592

-19.23%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

76.26%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$33.6K Ft 10.9M

32.19%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$175 Ft 56.9K

-49.01%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$23.75 Ft 7,728

-51.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$20.97 Ft 6,823

-23.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$33.80 Ft 11.0K

128.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$9.23 Ft 3,004

-9.64%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$549 Ft 178.5K

77.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$16.8K Ft 5.5M

53.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$99.5 Ft 32.4K

-47.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$30.60 Ft 9,955

27.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$61.4 Ft 20.0K

68.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$120 Ft 39.0K

-19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$408 Ft 132.9K

143.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$336 Ft 109.2K

87.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$555 Ft 180.7K

264.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$420 Ft 136.7K

174.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,542 Ft 501.8K

104.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,169 Ft 380.2K

57.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,359 Ft 442.2K

-11.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.43

539.04%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Békéscsaba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Békéscsaba

$336 30% 46.6% $294

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Békéscsaba

$228 20.4% 13.6% $36

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Békéscsaba

$129 11.6% 40.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Békéscsaba

$140 12.5% 6.8% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Békéscsaba

$220 19.6% 87.9% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Békéscsaba

$52 4.7% 44.4% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Békéscsaba

$15 * 1.3% 80.6% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $408 in Békéscsaba. 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 13% higher in Békéscsaba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $44.00 in Békéscsaba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $228 – making Békéscsaba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Békéscsaba

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

54,460

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Békéscsaba 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Békéscsaba

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 Békéscsaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 37% more than Békéscsaba, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,676 in Békéscsaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Békéscsaba, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul and $44.00 in Békéscsaba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Békéscsaba, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Békéscsaba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Békéscsaba costs $1,117 versus $1,526 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 Békéscsaba. 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.