Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Elblag

For one person, living is cheaper in Elblag: $1,455 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Elblag
Learn more

Elblag Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Elblag

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Elblag

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,455 in Elblag.

Istanbul $1,550
Elblag $1,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,027 in Elblag.

Istanbul $2,415
Elblag $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,599 in Elblag.

Istanbul $3,281
Elblag $2,599

Living in Istanbul is roughly 7% more expensive than in Elblag, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Elblag 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.17 zł 47.29

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$27.38 zł 106

99.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.34 zł 28.54

25.61%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.35 zł 13.03

31.34%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.10 zł 8.16

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.71 zł 6.63

-65.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.03 zł 11.78

55.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.73 zł 14.50

58.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.04 zł 4.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.66 zł 6.44

-46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.95 zł 3.69

130.53%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.79 zł 14.72

-37.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.96 zł 34.81

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.83 zł 26.53

-17.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.50 zł 44.68

82.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.34 zł 5.22

41.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.67 zł 6.48

38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.60 zł 6.20

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.08 zł 11.98

-41.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.79 zł 3.09

-17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.32 zł 5.13

-51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.10 zł 4.27

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.50 zł 1.93

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.13 zł 16.04

-42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.31 zł 24.52

112.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.49 zł 1.91

389.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.41 zł 5.47

146.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.03 zł 4.01

-13.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$24.01 zł 93.3

180.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.14 zł 8.33

-39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.78 zł 3.04

17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$9.86 zł 38.29

11.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.54 zł 5.98

-4.55%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.7K zł 119.4K

65.23%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$24.9K zł 96.6K

79.16%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$285 zł 1,108

-68.93%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$7.79 zł 30.27

48.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$13.79 zł 53.6

14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.85 zł 163

84.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$22.09 zł 85.8

2.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.23 zł 20.30

55.64%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$323 zł 1,255

211.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,954 zł 7,593

1207.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$80.9 zł 314

-33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.97 zł 144

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$88.1 zł 342

12.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$98.5 zł 383

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$602 zł 2,339

63.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$514 zł 1,995

26.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$857 zł 3,331

131.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$738 zł 2,868

59.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,191 zł 8,514

43.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,243 zł 8,714

-20.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,299 zł 5,048

-7.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.89

493.90%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Elblag: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Elblag

$514 35.3% 21% $136

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Elblag

$213 14.7% 17.9% $46

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Elblag

$197 13.6% 11.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Elblag

$137 9.4% 4.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Elblag

$307 21.1% 164% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Elblag

$52 3.6% 44% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Elblag

$34 2.4% 55.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $602 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $27.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $213 per month, with Elblag cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Elblag

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

03:57 3:57 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

122,899

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Elblag 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Elblag

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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elblag is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Elblag. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $602 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,455 in Elblag versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elblag but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Elblag the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Elblag is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Elblag 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 Elblag gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.