Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bregenz

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,129 in Bregenz, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Bregenz
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,129
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bregenz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,129 in Bregenz.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Bregenz $2,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $3,164 in Bregenz.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Bregenz $3,164

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $4,199 in Bregenz.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Bregenz $4,199

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 27% less than in Bregenz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Bregenz 58% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$19.83 €17.64
-37.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$77.8 €69.2
-29.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$12.29 €10.94
-24.98%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.85 €4.31
-9.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$4.16 €3.70
-59.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$3.88 €3.45
-84.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$5.66 €5.03
-16.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$4.59 €4.08
28.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.74 €1.55
-30.46%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$3.27 €2.91
-72.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.65 €1.47
32.73%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.39 €3.91
-46.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$16.00 €14.24
-34.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$13.96 €12.42
-59.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$20.89 €18.58
0.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.51 €2.23
-24.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.80 €1.60
28.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.16 €1.93
-40.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.75 €3.33
-52.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.83 €1.63
-64.48%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.36 €1.21
-52.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.87 €1.66
-33.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.29 €0.26
93.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$6.77 €6.02
-64.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$7.74 €6.88
73.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.47 €1.31
63.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.29 €1.15
169.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$2.93 €2.60
-69.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$45.41 €40.40
48.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$4.34 €3.86
-70.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.38 €2.12
-61.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$33.77 €30.04
-67.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.66 €1.48
-11.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$29.8K €26.5K
70.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$30.5K €27.1K
46.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$260 €231
-65.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$15.60 €13.87
-25.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$31.10 €27.67
-49.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$67.6 €60.1
14.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$9.09 €8.09
-10.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$860 €765
17.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$12.8K €11.4K
99.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$153 €136
-64.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$17.07 €15.18
139.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$56.0 €49.85
76.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$56.0 €49.80
72.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,049 €933
-6.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$862 €767
-24.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,627 €1,447
21.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,402 €1,247
-15.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$6,974 €6,204
-55.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$5,587 €4,969
-68.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Bregenz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$2,804 €2,494
-57.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.57
1046.22%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bregenz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Bregenz
$862 32.7% $213
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Bregenz
$350 34.8% $90
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Bregenz
$323 44.8% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Bregenz
$127 2.8% $3.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Bregenz
$307 164% $191
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Bregenz
$86 8.2% $7.6
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Bregenz
$73 4.5% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,049 in Bregenz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bregenz pays 133% 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 $78.0 in Bregenz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $350 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇦🇹 Bregenz
🕒 Local time
08:54 8:54 AM
07:54 7:54 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
29,620
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Bregenz 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Bregenz

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 Bregenz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Istanbul and in Bregenz?
Istanbul and Bregenz differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $2,129 including rent). Istanbul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Bregenz. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Istanbul and in Bregenz?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,049 in Bregenz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $78.0 in Bregenz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Istanbul or Bregenz?
All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $2,129 in Bregenz – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,129 in Bregenz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Bregenz. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Istanbul and Bregenz?
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.
Is Istanbul or Bregenz safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bregenz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Istanbul or Bregenz?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Bregenz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?