Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gevgelija

For one person, living is cheaper in Gevgelija: $782 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gevgelija
Learn more

Gevgelija Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Gevgelija

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gevgelija

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $782 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Gevgelija $782

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,226 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Gevgelija $1,226

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,670 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Gevgelija $1,670

Istanbul costs about 98% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Gevgelija is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$7.12 MKD 388

72.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.15 MKD 1,699

75.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.28 MKD 288

74.62%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.33 MKD 72.3

230.83%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.94 MKD 51.3

78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.69 MKD 37.73

-14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.17 MKD 63.6

301.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.02 MKD 165

95.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.23 MKD 66.9

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.65 MKD 35.19

36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.72 MKD 39.18

204.17%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.14 MKD 117

9.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.06 MKD 385

47.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.53 MKD 302

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.01 MKD 601

90.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.11 MKD 60.5

71.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.11 MKD 60.6

108.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.36 MKD 74.1

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.86 MKD 101

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.52 MKD 28.44

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.38 MKD 20.57

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.35 MKD 19.00

257.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.53 MKD 28.87

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.40 MKD 131

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$3.70 MKD 202

262.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.06 MKD 58.0

126.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.43 MKD 78.0

143.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.74 MKD 40.45

20.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$20.23 MKD 1,104

233.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.11 MKD 60.7

16.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.62 MKD 33.56

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.56 MKD 303

97.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.57 MKD 85.6

-6.37%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.1K MKD 1.9M

44.64%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

64.62%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$92.4 MKD 5,038

-4.05%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.24 MKD 995

-36.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.08 MKD 1,041

-17.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$23.96 MKD 1,307

222.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.12 MKD 879

41.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.37 MKD 293

51.58%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$109 MKD 5,949

824.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,751 MKD 313.7K

344.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$82.5 MKD 4,498

-34.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.31 MKD 1,980

12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$54.4 MKD 2,967

81.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$113 MKD 6,149

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$245 MKD 13.4K

301.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$190 MKD 10.3K

242.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$426 MKD 23.2K

365.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$330 MKD 18.0K

257.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,725 MKD 94.1K

81.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,125 MKD 61.3K

58.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$579 MKD 31.6K

108.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.23

867.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gevgelija: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Gevgelija

$190 24.3% 70.8% $460

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Gevgelija

$165 21.1% 36.6% $95

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Gevgelija

$107 13.7% 52% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Gevgelija

$129 16.5% 1.5% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Gevgelija

$130 16.6% 11.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Gevgelija

$35 4.4% 62.9% $59

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Gevgelija

$27 3.5% 64.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $245 in Gevgelija. 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 108% 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 $31.00 in Gevgelija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $165 – making Gevgelija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Gevgelija

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

20,664

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Gevgelija 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gevgelija

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 Gevgelija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 98% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,173 in Gevgelija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $109 in Gevgelija. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gevgelija, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Gevgelija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gevgelija costs $782 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 Gevgelija. 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.