Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Galati

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,284 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Galati
Learn more

Galati Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Galati

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Galati

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,284 in Galati, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Galati $1,284

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,737 in Galati, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Galati $1,737

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,190 in Galati, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Galati $2,190

Istanbul costs about 18% more than Galati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Galati is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.38 RON 49.31

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$41.21 RON 196

33.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.21 RON 34.24

28.43%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.45 RON 11.65

75.51%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.03 RON 9.65

-12.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.90 RON 9.05

-70.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.14 RON 10.16

119.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.18 RON 15.10

123.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.19 RON 5.67

5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.69 RON 3.28

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.71 RON 8.12

28.65%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.47 RON 16.49

-29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.76 RON 36.87

35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.88 RON 27.92

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.61 RON 40.90

145.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.30 RON 6.16

43.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.66 RON 7.87

38.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.56 RON 7.43

-21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.77 RON 8.40

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.94 RON 4.48

-26.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.05 RON 4.98

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.87 RON 4.14

56.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.68 RON 3.24

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.78 RON 27.48

-59.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.17 RON 24.57

152.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.94 RON 4.48

151.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.18 RON 5.62

181.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.71 RON 3.39

23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$26.77 RON 127

146.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.73 RON 3.45

75.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.80 RON 3.82

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$7.28 RON 34.60

52.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.83 RON 8.72

-19.13%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.0K RON 137.8K

67.74%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.2K RON 119.5K

66.89%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$150 RON 711

-38.08%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.81 RON 37.10

43.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.08 RON 38.40

96.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$37.10 RON 176

101.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$35.55 RON 169

-35.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.41 RON 30.43

25.59%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$594 RON 2,821

59.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$6,370 RON 30.3K

479.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$96.7 RON 459

-44.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$31.27 RON 149

32.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$60.3 RON 286

67.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$82.1 RON 390

11.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$715 RON 3,397

41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$562 RON 2,668

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$782 RON 3,715

156.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$566 RON 2,688

99.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,711 RON 8,130

74.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,283 RON 6,095

34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,046 RON 4,969

8.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.2

461.39%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Galati: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Galati

$562 43.8% 10.1% $63

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Galati

$184 14.3% 28.9% $75

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Galati

$167 13% 24.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Galati

$122 9.5% 6% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Galati

$166 12.9% 38.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Galati

$50 3.9% 45% $41

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Galati

$34 2.7% 54.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $715 in Galati. 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 9% 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 $41 in Galati. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $184 – making Galati the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Galati

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

249,432

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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 = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Galati 500 km

From you

Istanbul
Galati

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 Galati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Istanbul, $1,284 in Galati – Galati comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,925 in Galati. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Galati, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $715 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,284 in Galati. That makes Galati about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Galati. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,284 in Galati, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Galati – 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 Galati. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.