Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kakanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Kakanj: $979 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kakanj
Learn more

Kakanj Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kakanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kakanj

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $979 in Kakanj, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kakanj $979

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,435 in Kakanj, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kakanj $1,435

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,890 in Kakanj, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kakanj $1,890

Istanbul costs about 58% more than Kakanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kakanj is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$7.00 BAM 12.17

75.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$36.95 BAM 64.3

48.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.84 BAM 11.90

34.80%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.68 BAM 2.92

161.90%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.87 BAM 3.26

-10.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.25 BAM 2.17

-52.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.22 BAM 3.86

111.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.99 BAM 3.46

196.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.05 BAM 1.83

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.09 BAM 1.90

-18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.11 BAM 3.67

3.79%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.93 BAM 5.09

-19.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.70 BAM 18.60

-2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.75 BAM 13.47

-27.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.26 BAM 21.32

70.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.11 BAM 1.93

71.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.53 BAM 2.67

50.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.44 BAM 2.50

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.87 BAM 3.25

-3.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.10 BAM 1.91

-40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.03 BAM 1.80

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.98 BAM 1.70

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.77 BAM 1.34

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.60 BAM 6.26

-34.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.93 BAM 12.06

93.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.87 BAM 1.51

175.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.37 BAM 2.38

154.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.26 BAM 2.19

-29.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.68 BAM 2.92

-23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.65 BAM 1.12

41.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$9.00 BAM 15.64

21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.57 BAM 2.72

-6.37%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$27.1K BAM 47.2K

87.20%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$23.7K BAM 41.3K

87.63%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$148 BAM 258

-40.29%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$16.48 BAM 28.65

-29.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$25.33 BAM 44.05

-37.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$33.11 BAM 57.6

133.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.84 BAM 10.16

39.38%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$130 BAM 226

674.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,649 BAM 6,345

600.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$62.0 BAM 108

-12.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$31.90 BAM 55.5

27.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$89.4 BAM 155

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$88.1 BAM 153

9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$369 BAM 641

166.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$269 BAM 468

141.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$528 BAM 918

275.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$358 BAM 623

229.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,382 BAM 4,141

31.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,711 BAM 2,974

4.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.3

851.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kakanj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kakanj

$269 27.5% 58.6% $381

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kakanj

$219 22.3% 15.8% $41

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kakanj

$124 12.7% 44.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kakanj

$122 12.5% 6.5% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kakanj

$190 19.4% 63.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kakanj

$45 4.6% 52.1% $49

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kakanj

$10 * 1% 87% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $369 in Kakanj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $37.00 in Kakanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $219 – making Kakanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Kakanj

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

11,796

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kakanj 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kakanj

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 Kakanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,468 in Kakanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $37.00 in Kakanj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kakanj, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kakanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kakanj – 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 Kakanj. 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.