Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bucha

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucha: $745 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Bucha
Learn more

Bucha Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Bucha

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bucha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $745 in Bucha.

Istanbul $1,519
Bucha $745

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $1,122 in Bucha.

Istanbul $2,365
Bucha $1,122

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $1,498 in Bucha.

Istanbul $3,212
Bucha $1,498

Living in Istanbul is roughly 104% more expensive than in Bucha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Bucha is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$10.03 ₴458

17.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$21.50 ₴982

155.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$6.38 ₴291

45.14%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$1.03 ₴47.12

317.48%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.62 ₴28.42

185.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.36 ₴16.53

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$0.90 ₴40.96

421.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$1.83 ₴83.8

289.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.15 ₴52.3

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.84 ₴38.51

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.41 ₴64.6

56.03%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.91 ₴87.1

27.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$7.65 ₴349

36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$5.18 ₴237

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$6.99 ₴319

201.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$0.91 ₴41.73

104.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.51 ₴69.1

52.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.79 ₴81.7

-31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$2.84 ₴130

-36.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.68 ₴30.99

1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.47 ₴21.32

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.47 ₴67.2

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.48 ₴21.77

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.55 ₴162

-34.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$4.51 ₴206

188.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.94 ₴43.14

151.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.39 ₴63.3

138.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.45 ₴20.70

95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$16.22 ₴741

307.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$2.07 ₴94.7

-38.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.50 ₴22.82

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$4.05 ₴185

173.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.69 ₴77.4

-12.43%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.5K ₴1.4M

59.53%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.5K ₴1.1M

71.65%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$96.5 ₴4,407

-3.94%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$6.22 ₴284

80.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$6.39 ₴292

148.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$25.99 ₴1,187

187.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$13.79 ₴630

66.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$4.50 ₴206

78.89%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$418 ₴19.1K

126.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$4,038 ₴184.4K

814.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$65.1 ₴2,972

-17.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$17.36 ₴793

139.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$55.3 ₴2,524

82.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$55.7 ₴2,541

64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$200 ₴9,116

407.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$199 ₴9,077

214.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$447 ₴20.4K

348.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$301 ₴13.8K

273.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$1,161 ₴53.0K

157.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$849 ₴38.7K

103.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$506 ₴23.1K

124.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

17.83

126.70%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bucha: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Bucha

$199 26.7% 68.2% $426

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Bucha

$169 22.7% 34.5% $89

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Bucha

$124 16.6% 43.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Bucha

$87 11.7% 32.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Bucha

$109 14.6% 8.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Bucha

$35 4.7% 61.5% $56

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Bucha

$23 3% 69.9% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $200 in Bucha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Istanbul vs $21 in Bucha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $169 per month, with Bucha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇺🇦 Bucha

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

27,460

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 UAH = 2.19 USD

100 UAH = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.67 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 51.26 UAH (100 UAH = 1.95 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Bucha 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bucha

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 Bucha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $745 in Bucha, so Bucha is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Istanbul is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $200 in Bucha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $745 in Bucha – Bucha is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucha runs roughly 75% less than in Istanbul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $745 in Bucha versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bucha but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bucha 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.

Expats usually find Bucha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.