Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Benesov

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Benesov: $1,525 and $1,529 a month, rent and utilities included.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Benesov
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,529
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Benesov

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,529 in Benesov, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Benesov $1,529

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,132 in Benesov, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Benesov $2,132

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,736 in Benesov, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Benesov $2,736

Istanbul and Benesov have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Istanbul and Benesov sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Benesov by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺592
$6.32 Kč 137
89.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,834
$25.90 Kč 560
120.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺471
$9.19 Kč 199
3.48%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.13 Kč 46.11
106.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.6
$1.36 Kč 29.39
28.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.57
$0.65 Kč 14.14
-13.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺233
$1.55 Kč 33.63
203.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺304
$1.71 Kč 36.88
259.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.6
$0.98 Kč 21.19
26.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.25
$1.20 Kč 25.96
-20.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$1.88 Kč 40.58
21.28%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺121
$1.79 Kč 38.61
36.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺523
$7.15 Kč 155
47.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺272
$7.37 Kč 159
-25.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,072
$16.41 Kč 355
31.93%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺90.6
$1.62 Kč 35.05
12.96%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$1.16 Kč 25.12
97.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.4
$1.39 Kč 30.03
-7.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.1
$2.23 Kč 48.25
-18.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.74
$0.96 Kč 20.85
-31.25%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.14
$1.08 Kč 23.44
-41.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺62.8
$0.71 Kč 15.38
78.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.62
$0.76 Kč 16.43
-26.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$5.60 Kč 121
-57.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺642
$5.13 Kč 111
153.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$0.95 Kč 20.47
161.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$0.67 Kč 14.44
422.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.77
$1.15 Kč 24.91
-28.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,228
$24.46 Kč 529
166.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺65.7
$2.73 Kč 59.0
-51.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.60
$0.45 Kč 9.63
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺540
$5.41 Kč 117
101.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺70.7
$1.47 Kč 31.78
-2.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$29.6K Kč 640.0K
67.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$25.5K Kč 550.4K
69.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,395
$293 Kč 6,342
-69.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺579
$22.76 Kč 492
-48.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺797
$18.55 Kč 401
-13.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,776
$54.8 Kč 1,186
39.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,125
$11.32 Kč 245
100.71%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺409
$12.62 Kč 273
-34.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.2K
$739 Kč 16.0K
37.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$11.5K Kč 249.2K
124.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,636
$85.9 Kč 1,858
-38.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,008
$36.86 Kč 797
10.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,956
$100 Kč 2,170
-0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,630
$122 Kč 2,630
-23.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.4K
$722 Kč 15.6K
35.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.0K
$593 Kč 12.8K
5.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.0K
$1,183 Kč 25.6K
67.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺56.8K
$925 Kč 20.0K
24.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺153.2K
$4,575 Kč 98.9K
-32.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.5K
$3,435 Kč 74.3K
-47.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Benesov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
4.67
771.31%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Benesov: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Benesov
$593 5.4% $34
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Benesov
$209 20.4% $53
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Benesov
$123 44.6% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Benesov
$155 19.9% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Benesov
$335 187% $218
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Benesov
$80 13.7% $13
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Benesov
$34 54.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $722 in Benesov. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $26.00 in Benesov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $209 – making Benesov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇨🇿 Benesov
🕒 Local time
16:17 4:17 PM
15:17 3:17 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
16,480
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Benesov 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Benesov

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 Benesov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Istanbul compared to Benesov?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,294 in Benesov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Istanbul and Benesov?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Benesov – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Istanbul and Benesov?
Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $739 in Benesov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Benesov at $1,529. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benesov it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Istanbul and Benesov?
It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,525 in Istanbul to $1,529 in Benesov. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Istanbul or Benesov safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Istanbul and Benesov?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benesov makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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