Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Budapest $3,489

Istanbul is about 6% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Budapest sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-8.23%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.38 Ft 1,102

25.44%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.13 Ft 693

-17.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$1.87 Ft 609

-71.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$3.75 Ft 1,222

25.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.57 Ft 1,163

67.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.13 Ft 369

11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$1.84 Ft 600

-48.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.39 Ft 777

-3.35%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-35.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.69 Ft 4,784

44.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.84 Ft 598

4.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.01 Ft 654

13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.36 Ft 767

-45.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-51.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.96 Ft 314

-30.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.03 Ft 335

-42.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.56 Ft 509

-14.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.66 Ft 216

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-70.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.01 Ft 1,956

124.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.30 Ft 422

86.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.08 Ft 677

70.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$1.50 Ft 490

-44.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$27.61 Ft 8,991

140.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$1.30 Ft 424

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-45.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.81 Ft 591

-18.78%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

76.03%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

30.31%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$170 Ft 55.3K

-47.50%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-51.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$23.42 Ft 7,628

-31.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$19.18 Ft 6,245

18.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-12.39%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$537 Ft 174.8K

81.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

55.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$101 Ft 33.0K

-47.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$113 Ft 36.7K

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$119 Ft 38.7K

-18.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$805 Ft 262.2K

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$629 Ft 204.9K

0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-1.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-43.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-53.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-25.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.43

539.04%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 2.4% $6.4

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 2.9% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 28.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 85.9% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 9.2% $8.7

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 42.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $805 in Budapest. 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 35% higher in Budapest, 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $60.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $258 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Istanbul
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 141% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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