Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Giurgiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Giurgiu: $1,102 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Giurgiu
Learn more

Giurgiu Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Giurgiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Giurgiu

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,102 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Giurgiu $1,102

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,693 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Giurgiu $1,693

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,284 in Giurgiu, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Giurgiu $2,284

Istanbul costs about 38% more than Giurgiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Giurgiu is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$11.21 RON 53.3

5.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$52.7 RON 250

4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.51 RON 35.69

23.30%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.69 RON 17.52

16.53%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.44 RON 11.59

-27.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.23 RON 10.58

-74.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.13 RON 14.87

49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.43 RON 16.32

107.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.60 RON 7.62

-21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.42 RON 6.74

-38.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.69 RON 8.02

30.18%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.62 RON 17.18

-32.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.83 RON 41.97

18.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.76 RON 32.11

-21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$12.78 RON 60.7

65.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.50 RON 7.15

24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.55 RON 7.38

48.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.59 RON 7.54

-23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.62 RON 12.45

-31.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.76 RON 3.60

-9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.81 RON 3.83

-20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.81 RON 3.85

67.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.79 RON 3.76

-26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.99 RON 28.46

-60.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.48 RON 35.52

74.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.22 RON 5.81

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.77 RON 8.41

87.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.76 RON 3.61

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$22.27 RON 106

196.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.68 RON 3.22

88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.63 RON 2.97

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$6.36 RON 30.23

74.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.86 RON 8.83

-20.43%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$28.8K RON 137.0K

68.68%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.7K RON 122.0K

63.48%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$181 RON 862

-48.90%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.15 RON 33.97

56.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.93 RON 42.41

77.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$42.94 RON 204

73.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$21.83 RON 104

5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$9.24 RON 43.90

-12.88%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$444 RON 2,108

113.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$7,626 RON 36.2K

384.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$50.8 RON 241

6.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$35.38 RON 168

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$76.2 RON 362

32.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$88.7 RON 422

2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$335 RON 1,592

202.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$276 RON 1,311

126.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$642 RON 3,048

212.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$431 RON 2,048

161.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,909 RON 9,069

56.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,195 RON 5,678

44.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$897 RON 4,261

26.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.23

459.06%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Giurgiu

$276 25% 55.8% $349

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Giurgiu

$228 20.7% 11.9% $31

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Giurgiu

$198 17.9% 10.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Giurgiu

$113 10.3% 12.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Giurgiu

$198 17.9% 64.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Giurgiu

$61 5.6% 32.3% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Giurgiu

$29 2.6% 61.3% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $335 in Giurgiu. 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 27% 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 $53 in Giurgiu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Giurgiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Giurgiu

🕒 Local time

14:56 2:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

61,353

💱 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 = 56.33 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 = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Istanbul Giurgiu 410 km

From you

Istanbul
Giurgiu

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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,653 in Giurgiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Giurgiu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $335 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Giurgiu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $444 in Giurgiu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Giurgiu, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Giurgiu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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