Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hodmezovasarhely

For one person, living is cheaper in Hodmezovasarhely: $1,258 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Hodmezovasarhely
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Hodmezovasarhely Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Hodmezovasarhely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hodmezovasarhely

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,258 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Istanbul $1,550
Hodmezovasarhely $1,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,955 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Istanbul $2,415
Hodmezovasarhely $1,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,652 in Hodmezovasarhely.

Istanbul $3,281
Hodmezovasarhely $2,652

Living in Istanbul is roughly 23% more expensive than in Hodmezovasarhely, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Hodmezovasarhely is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.97 Ft 2,893

37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$58.3 Ft 18.8K

-6.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$9.14 Ft 2,946

0.88%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.41 Ft 777

82.57%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.29 Ft 416

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$1.28 Ft 411

-53.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.70 Ft 547

176.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.33 Ft 752

153.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.17 Ft 376

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$1.30 Ft 419

-31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.41 Ft 777

-9.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.22 Ft 1,037

-27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.52 Ft 3,390

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.52 Ft 2,102

-13.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.41 Ft 5,288

27.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.23 Ft 720

-14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.15 Ft 693

7.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.12 Ft 684

-39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.03 Ft 1,299

-55.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.05 Ft 339

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.05 Ft 340

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.66 Ft 534

-24.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.50 Ft 163

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.78 Ft 2,509

-69.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.72 Ft 1,521

184.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.22 Ft 394

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.99 Ft 642

74.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$1.19 Ft 384

-25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$26.76 Ft 8,626

151.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.04 Ft 979

-57.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$1.45 Ft 467

-36.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$17.99 Ft 5,800

-39.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.86 Ft 600

-20.97%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.0K Ft 9.7M

69.51%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$37.8K Ft 12.2M

17.90%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$152 Ft 48.8K

-41.52%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.59 Ft 6,960

-46.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.66 Ft 6,658

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$47.21 Ft 15.2K

63.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$18.36 Ft 5,920

23.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.64 Ft 2,786

-5.79%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$249 Ft 80.4K

304.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,806 Ft 2.2M

275.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$98.7 Ft 31.8K

-45.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$50.6 Ft 16.3K

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$92.9 Ft 29.9K

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$113 Ft 36.3K

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$520 Ft 167.6K

89.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$396 Ft 127.7K

64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$772 Ft 248.9K

156.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$657 Ft 211.9K

79.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,110 Ft 1.0M

0.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,572 Ft 829.2K

-30.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$908 Ft 292.6K

32.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

484.57%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hodmezovasarhely: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Hodmezovasarhely

$396 31.5% 39% $254

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Hodmezovasarhely

$251 19.9% 3.4% $9

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Hodmezovasarhely

$152 12.1% 32.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Hodmezovasarhely

$160 12.7% 22.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Hodmezovasarhely

$194 15.4% 67% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Hodmezovasarhely

$64 5.1% 31% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Hodmezovasarhely

$42 3.3% 45.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $520 in Hodmezovasarhely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 33% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $58.0 in Hodmezovasarhely. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $251, with Hodmezovasarhely cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Hodmezovasarhely

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

41,781

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Hodmezovasarhely 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Hodmezovasarhely

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 Hodmezovasarhely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Hodmezovasarhely differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $1,258 including rent). Hodmezovasarhely is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $520 in Hodmezovasarhely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hodmezovasarhely runs roughly 152% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $249 in Hodmezovasarhely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,258 in Hodmezovasarhely versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hodmezovasarhely but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Hodmezovasarhely the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Hodmezovasarhely are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hodmezovasarhely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.