Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Botevgrad

For one person, living is cheaper in Botevgrad: $775 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Botevgrad
Learn more

Botevgrad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Botevgrad

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Botevgrad

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $775 in Botevgrad, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Botevgrad $775

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,226 in Botevgrad, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Botevgrad $1,226

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,677 in Botevgrad, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Botevgrad $1,677

Istanbul costs about 96% more than Botevgrad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Botevgrad is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.19 BGN 17.73

15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$22.88 BGN 39.82

139.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.50 BGN 14.80

8.94%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.73 BGN 3.02

148.55%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.53 BGN 2.65

15.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.86 BGN 1.50

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.70 BGN 2.95

175.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.03 BGN 3.54

250.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.70 BGN 2.95

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.87 BGN 1.52

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.51 BGN 2.62

45.70%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.24 BGN 3.89

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$6.72 BGN 11.70

55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.35 BGN 11.04

-16.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$6.10 BGN 10.62

245.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.17 BGN 2.04

58.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.71 BGN 2.97

34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.73 BGN 3.01

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.86 BGN 3.24

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.55 BGN 0.96

16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.60 BGN 1.04

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.64 BGN 1.11

-9.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.51 BGN 6.11

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.26 BGN 9.15

147.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.12 BGN 1.95

110.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.66 BGN 2.89

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.90 BGN 1.56

-2.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$25.11 BGN 43.69

163.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.27 BGN 2.21

0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.64 BGN 1.12

32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$11.48 BGN 19.98

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.55 BGN 2.71

-4.52%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.4K BGN 51.2K

65.25%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.4K BGN 40.7K

79.37%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$91.4 BGN 159

1.47%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$14.80 BGN 25.75

-24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$12.11 BGN 21.07

31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$25.64 BGN 44.61

191.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$16.95 BGN 29.50

35.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.53 BGN 7.88

77.70%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$226 BGN 393

319.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,264 BGN 3,940

1530.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$30.40 BGN 52.9

77.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$19.24 BGN 33.48

115.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$63.1 BGN 110

59.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$50.8 BGN 88.4

79.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$262 BGN 456

286.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$188 BGN 328

231.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$544 BGN 947

268.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$397 BGN 692

183.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,318 BGN 2,293

126.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,092 BGN 1,900

58.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$764 BGN 1,329

48.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.99

1251.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Botevgrad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Botevgrad

$188 24.3% 69.8% $436

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Botevgrad

$176 22.8% 31.7% $82

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Botevgrad

$150 19.4% 32.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Botevgrad

$74 9.5% 43.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Botevgrad

$118 15.3% 1.3% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Botevgrad

$35 4.5% 61.8% $56

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Botevgrad

$33 4.3% 55.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $262 in Botevgrad. 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 49% 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 in Istanbul versus $23 in Botevgrad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $176 – making Botevgrad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Botevgrad

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

21,241

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Istanbul Botevgrad 480 km

From you

Istanbul
Botevgrad

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 Botevgrad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,162 in Botevgrad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Botevgrad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $262 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Botevgrad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $226 in Botevgrad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Botevgrad, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Botevgrad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Botevgrad – 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 Botevgrad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.