Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Dupnica

For one person, living is cheaper in Dupnica: $867 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Dupnica
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Dupnica Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Dupnica

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Dupnica

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $867 in Dupnica, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Dupnica $867

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,378 in Dupnica, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Dupnica $1,378

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,889 in Dupnica, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Dupnica $1,889

Istanbul costs about 75% more than Dupnica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Dupnica is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.42 BGN 18.13

13.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$51.1 BGN 89.0

7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.83 BGN 15.36

4.87%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.22 BGN 3.87

93.69%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.55 BGN 2.70

14.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-37.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.18 BGN 3.79

115.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.95 BGN 3.39

265.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.58 BGN 1.01

51.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$0.99 BGN 1.72

122.22%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.36 BGN 4.11

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.34 BGN 16.25

12.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.50 BGN 11.31

-18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.29 BGN 14.43

154.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.10 BGN 1.92

69.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.71 BGN 2.98

34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.75 BGN 3.04

-30.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.95 BGN 3.39

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.70 BGN 1.23

-8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.52 BGN 0.91

161.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.52 BGN 0.91

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.74 BGN 6.51

-37.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.11 BGN 8.89

154.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.76 BGN 1.31

210.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.69 BGN 2.94

96.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.55 BGN 0.96

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$25.87 BGN 45.02

155.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.34 BGN 2.34

-4.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.64 BGN 1.12

32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$11.32 BGN 19.70

-2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.66 BGN 2.88

-10.84%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.0K BGN 52.1K

62.40%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.1K BGN 41.9K

74.47%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$93.9 BGN 163

-1.30%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$14.81 BGN 25.77

-24.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$12.40 BGN 21.58

28.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$31.43 BGN 54.7

137.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$17.10 BGN 29.75

34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$4.59 BGN 7.99

75.38%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$226 BGN 393

320.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,321 BGN 4,039

1490.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$29.91 BGN 52.0

80.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$19.10 BGN 33.24

117.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$64.0 BGN 111

57.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$51.6 BGN 89.8

76.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$328 BGN 571

209.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$253 BGN 441

146.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$548 BGN 953

266.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$407 BGN 708

176.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,324 BGN 2,303

125.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,077 BGN 1,874

60.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,050 BGN 1,827

8.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.99

1251.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dupnica: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Dupnica

$253 29.2% 59.4% $371

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Dupnica

$184 21.3% 28.6% $74

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Dupnica

$161 18.6% 27.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Dupnica

$74 8.5% 42.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Dupnica

$121 14% 1.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Dupnica

$41 4.7% 55.3% $50

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Dupnica

$33 3.8% 56.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $328 in Dupnica. 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 8% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $51 in Dupnica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $184 – making Dupnica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Dupnica

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

00:28 12:28 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

37,081

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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 = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Dupnica 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Dupnica

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 Dupnica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul, $867 in Dupnica – Dupnica comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,301 in Dupnica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dupnica, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $226 in Dupnica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Dupnica, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Dupnica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dupnica – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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