Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Csongrad

For one person, living is cheaper in Csongrad: $1,303 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Csongrad
Learn more

Csongrad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Csongrad

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Csongrad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,303 in Csongrad.

Istanbul $1,550
Csongrad $1,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,062 in Csongrad.

Istanbul $2,415
Csongrad $2,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,821 in Csongrad.

Istanbul $3,281
Csongrad $2,821

Living in Istanbul is roughly 19% more expensive than in Csongrad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Csongrad is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.56 Ft 3,735

6.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$60.4 Ft 19.5K

-9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.26 Ft 2,991

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.46 Ft 796

78.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.35 Ft 436

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.27 Ft 411

-53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.65 Ft 535

184.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.32 Ft 750

154.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.19 Ft 386

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.57 Ft 507

-43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.46 Ft 795

-10.98%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.21 Ft 1,038

-26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.15 Ft 3,280

2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.73 Ft 2,174

-16.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.47 Ft 5,323

27.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.51 Ft 811

-24.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.29 Ft 739

0.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.65 Ft 857

-51.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.87 Ft 1,251

-53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.13 Ft 364

-42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.35 Ft 438

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.88 Ft 606

-33.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.58 Ft 187

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$9.00 Ft 2,909

-73.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.52 Ft 1,459

196.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.36 Ft 438

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.52 Ft 813

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.16 Ft 375

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$27.48 Ft 8,880

145.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.39 Ft 1,094

-61.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.48 Ft 479

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$24.08 Ft 7,781

-54.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.82 Ft 587

-19.23%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.0K Ft 9.7M

69.43%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.5K Ft 11.8M

21.94%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$168 Ft 54.3K

-47.28%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$20.87 Ft 6,743

-44.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.70 Ft 6,688

-23.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.83 Ft 13.5K

84.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.71 Ft 6,691

9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.70 Ft 2,811

-6.44%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$426 Ft 137.5K

136.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,745 Ft 2.5M

230.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$102 Ft 33.0K

-47.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$52.2 Ft 16.9K

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$95.0 Ft 30.7K

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 Ft 36.5K

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$556 Ft 179.5K

77.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$393 Ft 127.0K

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$659 Ft 212.8K

201.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$726 Ft 234.5K

62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,853 Ft 921.8K

9.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,909 Ft 939.9K

-38.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

411.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Csongrad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Csongrad

$393 30.2% 39.5% $257

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Csongrad

$262 20.1% 0.7% $1.8

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Csongrad

$173 13.3% 22.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Csongrad

$163 12.5% 24.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Csongrad

$210 16.1% 80.7% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Csongrad

$59 4.6% 36.6% $34

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Csongrad

$43 3.3% 44.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $556 in Csongrad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $60.0 in Csongrad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $262 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Csongrad

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

02:02 2:02 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

15,409

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Csongrad 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Csongrad

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 Csongrad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Csongrad differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $1,303 including rent). Csongrad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $1,954 in Csongrad 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 $556 in Csongrad. 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 $1,303 in Csongrad – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Csongrad runs roughly 145% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,303 in Csongrad versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Csongrad but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Csongrad 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 Csongrad 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 Csongrad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.