Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Esztergom

For one person, living is cheaper in Esztergom: $1,307 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Esztergom
Learn more

Esztergom Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Esztergom

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Esztergom

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,307 in Esztergom, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Esztergom $1,307

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,042 in Esztergom, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Esztergom $2,042

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,776 in Esztergom, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Esztergom $2,776

Istanbul costs about 19% more than Esztergom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Esztergom is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.24 Ft 3,956

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$52.5 Ft 17.0K

4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.07 Ft 2,931

1.65%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.66 Ft 860

65.41%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.98 Ft 638

-15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.18 Ft 380

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.00 Ft 969

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.76 Ft 893

114.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.16 Ft 375

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.44 Ft 465

-38.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.42 Ft 781

-9.50%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.17 Ft 1,024

-25.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.98 Ft 3,546

-5.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.23 Ft 2,013

-9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.69 Ft 4,422

52.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.49 Ft 804

-23.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.13 Ft 689

8.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.13 Ft 688

-39.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.07 Ft 1,316

-55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.20 Ft 387

-45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.27 Ft 409

-49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.77 Ft 572

-29.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.52 Ft 169

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.89 Ft 2,550

-69.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.26 Ft 2,023

114.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.23 Ft 396

95.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.62 Ft 523

114.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.20 Ft 388

-25.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$24.73 Ft 7,990

172.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.13 Ft 1,011

-58.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.57 Ft 508

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$17.99 Ft 5,813

-39.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.83 Ft 592

-19.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.9K Ft 10.6M

54.54%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$35.7K Ft 11.5M

24.76%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$155 Ft 50.2K

-42.98%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$33.19 Ft 10.7K

-65.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$27.01 Ft 8,728

-41.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$51.6 Ft 16.7K

49.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.96 Ft 5,802

26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.44 Ft 2,405

9.41%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$249 Ft 80.4K

305.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,327 Ft 2.4M

248.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$88.3 Ft 28.5K

-38.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$27.33 Ft 8,829

49.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$99.8 Ft 32.2K

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$105 Ft 34.0K

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$534 Ft 172.4K

84.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$401 Ft 129.6K

61.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$860 Ft 278.0K

130.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$739 Ft 238.8K

59.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,775 Ft 896.6K

13.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,615 Ft 845.0K

-31.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,185 Ft 382.7K

1.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.25

396.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Esztergom: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Esztergom

$401 30.7% 38.2% $249

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Esztergom

$249 19% 4.1% $11

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Esztergom

$190 14.6% 14.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Esztergom

$144 11% 10.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Esztergom

$216 16.5% 85.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Esztergom

$67 5.1% 28.8% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Esztergom

$41 3.1% 47.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $534 in Esztergom. 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 2% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $52.0 in Esztergom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $249 – making Esztergom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Esztergom

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

28,642

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Esztergom 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Esztergom

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 Esztergom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 19% more than Esztergom, 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 $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,961 in Esztergom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $52.0 in Esztergom. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,307 in Esztergom. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Esztergom, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Esztergom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Esztergom costs $1,307 versus $1,550 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 Esztergom. 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.