Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Calarasi, Moldova

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $358 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Calarasi

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $358 in Calarasi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Calarasi $358

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $583 in Calarasi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Calarasi $583

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $808 in Calarasi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Calarasi $808

Istanbul costs about 324% more than Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Calarasi is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$11.10 MDL 196

6.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$21.92 MDL 388

150.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.02 MDL 124

31.91%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.41 MDL 24.93

204.96%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$0.79 MDL 13.96

124.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.47 MDL 8.33

19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.09 MDL 19.34

330.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.42 MDL 25.03

401.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.02 MDL 17.99

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.32 MDL 5.63

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$1.90 MDL 33.58

27.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.99 MDL 35.11

15.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.67 MDL 11.79

2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.56 MDL 9.82

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.12 MDL 19.84

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.73 MDL 30.55

-14.45%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$20.0K MDL 354.1K

109.59%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$59.0 MDL 1,043

57.11%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$6.75 MDL 119

65.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$10.17 MDL 180

56.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$3.29 MDL 58.2

144.68%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$33.42 MDL 591

61.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$33.30 MDL 589

24.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$106 MDL 1,867

-4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$33.39 MDL 590

173.47%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Calarasi

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Calarasi

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Calarasi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Calarasi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Calarasi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Calarasi

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Calarasi

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $22 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $42 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

16,100

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 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 = 17.68 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Calarasi 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Calarasi

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 324%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $537 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 522% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $22 in Calarasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Calarasi 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 $358 in Calarasi to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.