Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,212 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
Learn more

Craiova Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Craiova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul versus $1,212 in Craiova.

Istanbul $1,519
Craiova $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,365 in Istanbul versus $1,879 in Craiova.

Istanbul $2,365
Craiova $1,879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Istanbul versus $2,545 in Craiova.

Istanbul $3,212
Craiova $2,545

Living in Istanbul is roughly 25% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 12% above, Craiova is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$7.36 RON 35.02

60.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$41.34 RON 197

32.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$7.28 RON 34.61

27.20%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$2.72 RON 12.94

58.09%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$2.20 RON 10.45

-19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$1.83 RON 8.68

-69.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$2.27 RON 10.82

106.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$3.44 RON 16.36

106.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.27 RON 6.02

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.85 RON 4.04

3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.39 RON 6.59

58.27%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.35 RON 15.92

-27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$7.13 RON 33.90

46.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$6.53 RON 31.05

-18.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$11.45 RON 54.5

84.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.03 RON 4.88

80.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.44 RON 6.87

59.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.41 RON 6.69

-13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$1.73 RON 8.22

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.82 RON 3.92

-15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.91 RON 4.32

-29.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$0.73 RON 3.49

86.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.71 RON 3.37

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.47 RON 30.77

-63.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$6.12 RON 29.12

112.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.20 RON 5.69

96.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.53 RON 7.27

116.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.88 RON 4.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$25.43 RON 121

160.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$0.66 RON 3.12

93.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.64 RON 3.05

32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$9.47 RON 45.03

17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.89 RON 9.00

-21.69%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.0K RON 138.2K

67.47%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.9K RON 123.1K

62.14%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$217 RON 1,030

-57.19%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$9.47 RON 45.05

18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$11.42 RON 54.3

39.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$40.05 RON 191

86.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

$21.95 RON 104

4.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$7.54 RON 35.88

6.76%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$415 RON 1,976

128.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$8,038 RON 38.2K

359.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$63.6 RON 303

-15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$50.8 RON 242

-18.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$82.5 RON 392

22.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$101 RON 478

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$530 RON 2,520

91.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$412 RON 1,958

51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$903 RON 4,295

122.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$849 RON 4,037

32.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$2,701 RON 12.8K

10.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$1,973 RON 9,384

-12.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$956 RON 4,550

18.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

6.84

490.94%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Craiova: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Craiova

$412 34% 34.1% $213

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Craiova

$193 16% 25.1% $65

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Craiova

$148 12.2% 33.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Craiova

$134 11% 3.4% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Craiova

$237 19.6% 98.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Craiova

$55 4.6% 39.3% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Craiova

$33 2.7% 56.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Istanbul and $530 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 19% 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 $41 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $193 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

269,506

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Craiova 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Istanbul versus $530 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,519 per month in Istanbul versus $1,212 in Craiova – Craiova is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 62% less than in Istanbul. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Craiova is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Craiova are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.