Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Budaors

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Budaors: $1,550 and $1,479 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Budaors
Learn more

Budaors Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Budaors

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Budaors

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,479 in Budaors, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Budaors $1,479

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,209 in Budaors, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Budaors $2,209

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,940 in Budaors, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Budaors $2,940

Istanbul costs about 5% more than Budaors, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Budaors sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Budaors by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.32 Ft 3,650

8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$60.0 Ft 19.4K

-8.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$10.28 Ft 3,314

-10.31%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.44 Ft 787

80.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.49 Ft 480

12.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$1.81 Ft 583

-67.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.51 Ft 810

87.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.73 Ft 879

116.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.19 Ft 385

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$1.64 Ft 529

-45.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.46 Ft 792

-10.98%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.51 Ft 1,133

-33.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.05 Ft 3,562

-5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.52 Ft 2,101

-13.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.50 Ft 4,674

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.08 Ft 671

-8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.09 Ft 675

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.47 Ft 796

-48.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.95 Ft 1,273

-54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.10 Ft 354

-40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.35 Ft 436

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.57 Ft 506

-20.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.59 Ft 189

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.30 Ft 2,031

-62.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.30 Ft 1,708

153.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.27 Ft 411

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.05 Ft 660

69.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$1.41 Ft 454

-36.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$14.67 Ft 4,729

359.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.45 Ft 1,111

-62.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$1.33 Ft 429

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$19.14 Ft 6,170

-42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.83 Ft 591

-19.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.1K Ft 10.0M

63.18%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.2K Ft 11.7M

22.92%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$170 Ft 54.9K

-47.97%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$23.28 Ft 7,504

-50.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.16 Ft 6,820

-25.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$76.2 Ft 24.5K

1.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.77 Ft 5,407

35.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.59 Ft 3,092

-15.12%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$547 Ft 176.2K

84.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,699 Ft 2.5M

232.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$99.3 Ft 32.0K

-45.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$45.46 Ft 14.7K

-10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$103 Ft 33.4K

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$112 Ft 36.2K

-14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$562 Ft 181.2K

75.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$539 Ft 173.8K

20.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$818 Ft 263.7K

142.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$803 Ft 258.8K

46.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,090 Ft 1.3M

-23.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$3,685 Ft 1.2M

-51.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,726 Ft 556.4K

-30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.45

534.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budaors: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Budaors

$539 36.5% 17% $110

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Budaors

$254 17.2% 2% $5.2

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Budaors

$182 12.3% 18.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Budaors

$162 11% 24.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Budaors

$215 14.5% 85.1% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Budaors

$95 6.5% 2% $1.9

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Budaors

$30 2.1% 60.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $562 in Budaors. 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 43% higher in Budaors, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $60.0 in Budaors. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $254 in Budaors – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Budaors

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

29,398

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Istanbul
Budaors

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 Budaors: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $1,479 in Budaors – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,218 in Budaors. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budaors, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $60.0 in Budaors. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Budaors, where all-in costs run around $1,479, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Budaors it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,479 in Budaors to $1,550 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Budaors. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.