Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Debrecen

For one person, living is cheaper in Debrecen: $1,358 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Debrecen
Learn more

Debrecen Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Debrecen

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Debrecen

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,358 in Debrecen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Debrecen $1,358

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,149 in Debrecen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Debrecen $2,149

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,940 in Debrecen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Debrecen $2,940

Istanbul costs about 12% more than Debrecen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Debrecen sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Debrecen by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$13.76 Ft 4,479

-13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$49.34 Ft 16.1K

11.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$10.02 Ft 3,260

-8.78%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.36 Ft 767

79.66%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.54 Ft 500

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.07 Ft 347

-49.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.88 Ft 611

149.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.25 Ft 732

165.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.21 Ft 393

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.47 Ft 478

-35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.47 Ft 803

-6.48%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.53 Ft 1,147

-30.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.19 Ft 3,317

3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.96 Ft 2,263

-19.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$15.45 Ft 5,028

37.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.00 Ft 650

-3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.22 Ft 723

3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.03 Ft 660

-36.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$3.41 Ft 1,108

-46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.92 Ft 298

-27.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.21 Ft 393

-51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.52 Ft 494

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.56 Ft 183

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$7.03 Ft 2,288

-66.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$4.16 Ft 1,353

223.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.23 Ft 401

96.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.09 Ft 681

69.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.51 Ft 493

-45.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$26.60 Ft 8,655

149.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.28 Ft 1,068

-58.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.49 Ft 484

-42.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$12.10 Ft 3,936

-10.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.88 Ft 611

-21.81%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$32.3K Ft 10.5M

59.59%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$36.6K Ft 11.9M

21.32%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$156 Ft 50.8K

-42.91%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$25.95 Ft 8,444

-55.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$20.95 Ft 6,816

-23.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$48.87 Ft 15.9K

58.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$7.95 Ft 2,586

185.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$10.00 Ft 3,254

-16.60%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$414 Ft 134.9K

134.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$10.8K Ft 3.5M

138.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$86.9 Ft 28.3K

-39.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$33.98 Ft 11.1K

15.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$84.9 Ft 27.6K

21.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$103 Ft 33.5K

-6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$621 Ft 201.9K

60.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$465 Ft 151.4K

35.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,197 Ft 389.6K

69.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$935 Ft 304.3K

23.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,978 Ft 968.9K

6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,604 Ft 847.1K

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,234 Ft 401.6K

-2.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.9

495.51%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Debrecen: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Debrecen

$465 34.2% 26.1% $164

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Debrecen

$248 18.2% 6.2% $16

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Debrecen

$193 14.2% 11.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Debrecen

$139 10.2% 5.9% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Debrecen

$203 14.9% 73.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Debrecen

$69 5.1% 26.7% $25

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Debrecen

$43 3.2% 42.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $621 in Debrecen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Debrecen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $49.00 in Debrecen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $248 – making Debrecen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Debrecen

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

201,704

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Debrecen 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Debrecen

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 Debrecen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 12% more than Debrecen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,036 in Debrecen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Debrecen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 150% less in Debrecen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $414 in Debrecen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Debrecen, where all-in costs run around $1,358, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Debrecen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Debrecen costs $1,358 versus $1,526 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Debrecen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.