Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bytom

For one person, living is cheaper in Bytom: $1,466 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bytom
Learn more

Bytom Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bytom

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bytom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,466 in Bytom.

Istanbul $1,550
Bytom $1,466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,099 in Bytom.

Istanbul $2,415
Bytom $2,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,731 in Bytom.

Istanbul $3,281
Bytom $2,731

Living in Istanbul is roughly 6% more expensive than in Bytom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Bytom 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.31 zł 40.07

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$35.40 zł 138

54.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.68 zł 33.73

6.22%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.52 zł 13.69

25.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.12 zł 8.23

-20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.86 zł 7.22

-68.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.64 zł 14.15

29.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.59 zł 17.85

28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.09 zł 4.23

11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.24 zł 4.81

-28.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.49 zł 5.79

46.98%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.25 zł 12.61

-27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.58 zł 37.22

8.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.30 zł 20.60

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.93 zł 46.36

75.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.06 zł 4.12

79.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.62 zł 6.28

42.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.49 zł 5.81

-14.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.50 zł 9.70

-28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.91 zł 3.55

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.78 zł 3.04

-17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.24 zł 4.82

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.66 zł 2.58

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.64 zł 21.92

-57.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.26 zł 24.32

114.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.03 zł 4.02

133.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.70 zł 6.60

104.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.25 zł 4.85

-28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$33.83 zł 131

99.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.81 zł 7.04

-28.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.68 zł 2.66

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$10.01 zł 38.88

9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.64 zł 6.36

-10.37%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.1K zł 120.8K

63.35%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.8K zł 107.9K

60.27%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$321 zł 1,249

-72.43%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$7.87 zł 30.58

47.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$17.68 zł 68.7

-10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$38.44 zł 149

100.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.62 zł 80.1

10.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.16 zł 27.82

13.69%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$488 zł 1,898

106.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$11.9K zł 46.3K

114.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$69.9 zł 272

-22.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$30.85 zł 120

32.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$89.0 zł 346

11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$92.5 zł 359

4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$530 zł 2,060

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$496 zł 1,926

31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,005 zł 3,903

97.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$834 zł 3,241

41.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,853 zł 11.1K

10.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,239 zł 8,699

-20.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

7.19

469.12%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bytom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bytom

$496 33.8% 23.7% $154

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bytom

$205 14% 21% $55

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bytom

$194 13.3% 13% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bytom

$127 8.7% 2.7% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bytom

$347 23.7% 199% $231

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bytom

$53 3.6% 43.5% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bytom

$44 3% 42.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $530 in Bytom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $35.00 in Bytom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $205 per month, with Bytom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Bytom

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

162,250

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bytom 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bytom

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 Bytom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bytom wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bytom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $2,199 in Bytom to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $530 in Bytom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,466 in Bytom – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bytom runs roughly 99% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,466 in Bytom versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bytom but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bytom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bytom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,466 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bytom hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bytom are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bytom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.