Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gdynia

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,731 in Gdynia, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gdynia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Gdynia
Learn more

Gdynia Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Gdynia

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gdynia

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,731 in Gdynia, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Gdynia $1,731

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,437 in Gdynia, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Gdynia $2,437

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,143 in Gdynia, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Gdynia $3,143

Istanbul is about 12% cheaper than Gdynia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Istanbul and Gdynia sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Gdynia by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$10.19 zł 39.84

16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$51.3 zł 200

7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.57 zł 37.41

-4.49%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.27 zł 16.69

-0.70%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.76 zł 10.79

-36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.13 zł 8.33

-74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$3.86 zł 15.09

21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$4.09 zł 15.97

45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.04 zł 4.06

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.31 zł 5.12

-27.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.90 zł 7.44

21.58%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.87 zł 15.11

-36.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$12.65 zł 49.45

-16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$7.64 zł 29.85

-26.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$13.92 zł 54.4

52.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.35 zł 5.26

42.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.79 zł 7.01

27.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.82 zł 7.13

-29.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$3.16 zł 12.33

-41.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.16 zł 4.55

-42.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.17 zł 4.56

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.69 zł 6.61

-21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.62 zł 2.42

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$6.14 zł 24.02

-61.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$8.15 zł 31.84

65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.10 zł 4.29

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.63 zł 6.37

117.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.21 zł 4.73

-31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$35.57 zł 139

86.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$2.26 zł 8.82

-40.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.01 zł 3.93

-15.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$12.85 zł 50.2

-15.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.63 zł 6.38

-9.82%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.4K zł 119.0K

69.55%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$27.8K zł 108.5K

60.06%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$302 zł 1,179

-70.43%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$10.33 zł 40.37

12.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$18.99 zł 74.2

-15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$44.35 zł 173

74.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$31.16 zł 122

-27.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$9.42 zł 36.82

-11.46%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$404 zł 1,580

140.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,655 zł 22.1K

355.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$94.5 zł 369

-44.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$40.63 zł 159

-3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$103 zł 403

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$105 zł 411

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$812 zł 3,174

22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$640 zł 2,500

-1.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,147 zł 4,484

76.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$935 zł 3,654

23.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$4,159 zł 16.3K

-24.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,500 zł 9,773

-26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,927 zł 7,532

-37.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.6

522.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gdynia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Gdynia

$640 37.8% 1.7% $10

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Gdynia

$250 14.8% 5.2% $14

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Gdynia

$209 12.3% 4.3% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Gdynia

$154 9.1% 17.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Gdynia

$331 19.5% 183% $214

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Gdynia

$63 3.7% 32.7% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Gdynia

$48 2.8% 36.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $812 in Gdynia. 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 60% higher in Gdynia, 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 $51.0 in Gdynia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $250 – making Gdynia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Gdynia

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

257,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Gdynia 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gdynia

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 Gdynia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gdynia is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,596 in Gdynia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $1,731 in Gdynia. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Gdynia at $1,731. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gdynia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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