Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $627 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
Learn more

Cahul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Cahul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $627 in Cahul.

Istanbul $1,519
Cahul $627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $914 in Cahul.

Istanbul $2,365
Cahul $914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $1,200 in Cahul.

Istanbul $3,212
Cahul $1,200

Living in Istanbul is roughly 142% more expensive than in Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Cahul is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.15 MDL 145

44.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$22.76 MDL 405

141.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$10.23 MDL 182

-9.48%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.69 MDL 30.06

154.44%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.10 MDL 19.53

60.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.58 MDL 10.34

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.98 MDL 35.15

136.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.81 MDL 32.10

293.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.25 MDL 22.22

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.49 MDL 8.73

79.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.57 MDL 27.94

40.13%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.16 MDL 38.41

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$6.65 MDL 118

57.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.59 MDL 81.5

15.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$5.93 MDL 105

255.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.02 MDL 18.12

82.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.16 MDL 38.49

6.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.86 MDL 33.01

-34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.25 MDL 39.99

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.71 MDL 12.66

-2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.48 MDL 8.50

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.42 MDL 7.50

223.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.54 MDL 9.61

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.30 MDL 58.6

-29.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$4.49 MDL 79.8

190.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.43 MDL 25.45

65.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.92 MDL 34.13

72.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.29 MDL 5.18

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$2.80 MDL 49.80

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.26 MDL 4.66

226.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$5.69 MDL 101

94.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.54 MDL 27.47

-3.90%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$33.2K MDL 590.5K

46.44%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.5K MDL 435.4K

71.40%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$223 MDL 3,957

-58.35%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.56 MDL 134

48.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$11.15 MDL 198

42.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$7.55 MDL 134

6.62%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$113 MDL 2,001

742.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$5,131 MDL 91.2K

619.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$43.76 MDL 778

23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$56.0 MDL 996

80.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$50.7 MDL 901

80.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$491 MDL 8,727

131.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

405.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cahul: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Cahul

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Cahul

$161 25.7% 37.7% $97

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Cahul

$136 21.8% 38.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Cahul

$68 * 10.8% 47.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Cahul

$241 38.5% 101% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 83.4% $76

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Cahul

$5.3 * 0.8% 93% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Istanbul pays about 2.3 times 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 in Istanbul vs $23 in Cahul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $161 per month, with Cahul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

17:46 5:46 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

39,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 MDL = 5.62 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 17.78 MDL (100 MDL = 5.62 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Cahul 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Cahul

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 Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Istanbul is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $627 in Cahul – Cahul is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $627 in Cahul versus $1,519 in Istanbul, a $800 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul 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.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Cahul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cahul wins on affordability, Istanbul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.