Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kalocsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalocsa: $1,242 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Kalocsa
Learn more

Kalocsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kalocsa

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kalocsa

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,242 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kalocsa $1,242

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,921 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kalocsa $1,921

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,599 in Kalocsa, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kalocsa $2,599

Istanbul costs about 25% more than Kalocsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kalocsa is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.44 Ft 4,020

-1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$52.9 Ft 17.1K

3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.20 Ft 2,971

0.22%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.69 Ft 869

63.57%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.95 Ft 629

-13.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.17 Ft 378

-49.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.01 Ft 972

56.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.78 Ft 897

112.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.20 Ft 388

0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.45 Ft 467

-38.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.45 Ft 791

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.20 Ft 1,035

-26.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.03 Ft 3,562

-5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.42 Ft 2,073

-11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.47 Ft 4,352

55.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.35 Ft 760

-19.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.05 Ft 663

12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.10 Ft 679

-39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.05 Ft 1,310

-55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.15 Ft 371

-43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.27 Ft 410

-49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.75 Ft 566

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.48 Ft 155

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.68 Ft 2,481

-69.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.27 Ft 2,025

114.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.21 Ft 391

98.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.56 Ft 504

123.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.24 Ft 400

-28.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$27.93 Ft 9,025

141.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.97 Ft 961

-56.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.49 Ft 481

-38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$18.39 Ft 5,942

-40.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.90 Ft 615

-22.63%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.6K Ft 10.5M

55.70%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.5K Ft 11.8M

22.07%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$150 Ft 48.5K

-40.94%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$32.92 Ft 10.6K

-64.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$27.19 Ft 8,784

-41.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$47.22 Ft 15.3K

63.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.13 Ft 5,213

40.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.77 Ft 2,509

4.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$246 Ft 79.6K

309.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,247 Ft 2.7M

209.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$90.4 Ft 29.2K

-40.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$27.99 Ft 9,044

45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$97.7 Ft 31.6K

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$106 Ft 34.3K

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$534 Ft 172.4K

84.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$341 Ft 110.1K

90.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$738 Ft 238.4K

168.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$566 Ft 182.8K

108.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,239 Ft 1.0M

-3.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,643 Ft 853.7K

-32.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.25

396.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kalocsa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kalocsa

$341 27.4% 47.6% $309

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kalocsa

$248 20% 4.6% $12

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kalocsa

$192 15.5% 13.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kalocsa

$145 11.7% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kalocsa

$210 16.9% 81.1% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kalocsa

$63 5.1% 32.8% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kalocsa

$43 3.5% 43.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $534 in Kalocsa. 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 $53.0 in Kalocsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $248 – making Kalocsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Kalocsa

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

23:44 11:44 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

14,433

💱 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 = 2.75 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kalocsa 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kalocsa

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 Kalocsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,863 in Kalocsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalocsa, 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 $246 in Kalocsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 Kalocsa, where all-in costs run around $1,242, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kalocsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalocsa – 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 Kalocsa. 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.