Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bihac

For one person, living is cheaper in Bihac: $974 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bihac
Learn more

Bihac Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Bihac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bihac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $974 in Bihac.

Istanbul $1,526
Bihac $974

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $1,447 in Bihac.

Istanbul $2,399
Bihac $1,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $1,920 in Bihac.

Istanbul $3,272
Bihac $1,920

Living in Istanbul is roughly 57% more expensive than in Bihac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Bihac is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$6.87 BAM 11.98

72.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$29.08 BAM 50.7

89.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.80 BAM 10.12

57.59%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.13 BAM 1.97

275.22%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.17 BAM 2.05

49.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.48 BAM 2.59

216.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.76 BAM 3.06

239.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.37 BAM 2.39

-8.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.05 BAM 1.84

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.31 BAM 4.03

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.04 BAM 5.30

-18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$9.96 BAM 17.37

5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.21 BAM 12.58

-22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.33 BAM 19.76

87.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.73 BAM 3.01

11.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.79 BAM 3.13

27.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.45 BAM 2.53

-11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.05 BAM 3.59

-10.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.49 BAM 2.60

-60.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.92 BAM 1.60

44.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.90 BAM 1.57

-34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.59 BAM 6.27

-34.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$8.13 BAM 14.18

65.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.33 BAM 2.32

81.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.08 BAM 3.63

70.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.30 BAM 2.26

-36.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$34.93 BAM 61.0

90.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.18 BAM 2.06

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.99 BAM 1.74

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$10.49 BAM 18.31

3.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.43 BAM 2.50

2.80%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.6K BAM 53.4K

68.73%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$22.1K BAM 38.5K

101.41%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$202 BAM 353

-55.90%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$18.53 BAM 32.33

-37.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$22.20 BAM 38.73

-27.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$33.21 BAM 57.9

132.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$11.59 BAM 20.21

95.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.67 BAM 9.88

47.09%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$143 BAM 250

580.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,891 BAM 6,789

562.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$28.95 BAM 50.5

82.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$17.25 BAM 30.10

127.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$95.4 BAM 166

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$119 BAM 208

-18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$220 BAM 383

352.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$201 BAM 350

213.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$302 BAM 527

569.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$271 BAM 474

325.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,445 BAM 2,522

118.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,326 BAM 2,313

38.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$787 BAM 1,373

52.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.3

855.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bihac: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Bihac

$201 20.4% 68.1% $429

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Bihac

$229 23.2% 13.3% $35

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Bihac

$105 10.7% 51.7% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Bihac

$117 11.9% 10.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Bihac

$243 24.7% 108% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Bihac

$45 4.5% 52.6% $49

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Bihac

$46 4.7% 38.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $220 in Bihac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $29.00 in Bihac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $229 per month, with Bihac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Bihac

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

39,690

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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 = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Istanbul Bihac 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bihac

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 Bihac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Bihac differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,526 vs $974 including rent). Bihac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Istanbul versus $220 in Bihac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bihac – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $974 in Bihac – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Bihac versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bihac but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bihac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bihac are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bihac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.