Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gradac

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Gradac: $1,526 and $1,553 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Gradac
Learn more

Gradac Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Gradac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gradac

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,553 in Gradac, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Gradac $1,553

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,381 in Gradac, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Gradac $2,381

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,209 in Gradac, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Gradac $3,209

Istanbul is about 2% cheaper than Gradac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Istanbul and Gradac sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Gradac by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$13.71 €12.23

-13.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$61.6 €54.9

-10.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$18.51 €16.52

-50.62%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.57 €2.29

64.98%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.98 €2.66

-41.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.20 €1.97

-75.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$3.73 €3.33

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$8.14 €7.26

-26.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.24 €1.11

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.64 €1.46

-42.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.94 €2.63

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.97 €3.55

-37.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$11.57 €10.32

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$9.60 €8.57

-41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$12.30 €10.97

72.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.96 €1.75

-1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.38 €1.23

65.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.86 €1.66

-31.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.68 €2.39

-31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.35 €1.20

-50.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.17 €1.04

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.10 €0.99

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.23 €1.09

-52.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$10.88 €9.71

-78.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.92 €7.07

70.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.63 €1.45

48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.26 €2.02

56.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.71 €1.53

-51.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$42.71 €38.12

55.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$3.48 €3.11

-61.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.42 €1.26

-40.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$15.05 €13.43

-27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.85 €1.65

-20.54%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$26.6K €23.7K

94.12%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$24.9K €22.3K

78.18%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$182 €162

-50.88%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$22.64 €20.21

-48.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$39.97 €35.67

-59.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$52.7 €47.05

46.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$14.04 €12.53

61.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$8.85 €7.90

-5.76%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$427 €381

128.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,649 €7,718

197.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$98.0 €87.5

-46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$39.72 €35.45

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$107 €95.0

-3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$98.3 €87.7

-1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$674 €602

47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$529 €472

19.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,207 €1,077

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$860 €768

34.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,753 €3,349

-15.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,690 €2,400

-31.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,636 €1,460

-26.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

3.65

1025.75%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gradac: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Gradac

$529 33.5% 16% $101

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Gradac

$269 17.1% 1.9% $5.1

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Gradac

$252 16% 15.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Gradac

$154 9.8% 17.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Gradac

$244 15.5% 109% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Gradac

$70 4.5% 25% $24

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Gradac

$60 3.8% 20.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $674 in Gradac. 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 36% higher in Gradac, 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 $62.0 in Gradac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $269 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇷 Gradac

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,300

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Gradac 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gradac

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 Gradac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gradac costs about 2% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,329 in Gradac. 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Gradac, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $62.0 in Gradac. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Gradac at $1,553. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gradac it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,526 versus $1,553 in Gradac. 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gradac makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.