Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kazanlak

For one person, living is cheaper in Kazanlak: $873 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Kazanlak
Learn more

Kazanlak Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Kazanlak

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kazanlak

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $873 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Kazanlak $873

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,374 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Kazanlak $1,374

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,874 in Kazanlak, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Kazanlak $1,874

Istanbul costs about 74% more than Kazanlak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Kazanlak is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$13.32 BGN 23.17

-11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$52.1 BGN 90.7

5.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.03 BGN 15.71

2.55%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.22 BGN 3.86

93.69%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.44 BGN 2.51

22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.89 BGN 1.54

-37.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.18 BGN 3.80

115.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.63 BGN 4.58

170.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.77 BGN 3.08

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.96 BGN 1.66

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.04 BGN 3.56

7.84%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.30 BGN 5.75

-26.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.82 BGN 17.09

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.46 BGN 11.24

-17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.20 BGN 14.27

157.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.32 BGN 2.30

40.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.64 BGN 2.86

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.70 BGN 2.95

-28.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.99 BGN 1.72

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.71 BGN 1.23

-9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.54 BGN 0.95

151.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.63 BGN 1.10

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.66 BGN 6.36

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.02 BGN 8.74

159.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.04 BGN 1.81

126.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.68 BGN 2.93

97.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.66 BGN 1.14

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$12.44 BGN 21.64

431.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.63 BGN 2.84

-21.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.88 BGN 1.53

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$14.01 BGN 24.37

-20.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.61 BGN 2.81

-8.07%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.6K BGN 51.5K

64.48%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.4K BGN 40.7K

79.33%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$91.5 BGN 159

1.30%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$14.00 BGN 24.36

-20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$12.02 BGN 20.91

32.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$22.70 BGN 39.50

228.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$8.70 BGN 15.13

-7.47%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$223 BGN 389

324.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,298 BGN 3,999

1506.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$30.52 BGN 53.1

76.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$18.99 BGN 33.05

118.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$65.0 BGN 113

55.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$52.3 BGN 90.9

74.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$337 BGN 586

201.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$232 BGN 404

168.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$676 BGN 1,175

196.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$339 BGN 590

232.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,203 BGN 2,093

148.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$983 BGN 1,711

75.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,457 BGN 2,535

-22.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.99

1251.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kazanlak: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Kazanlak

$232 26.6% 62.8% $392

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Kazanlak

$201 23% 22.2% $57

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Kazanlak

$186 21.3% 15.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kazanlak

$75 8.6% 42% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Kazanlak

$118 13.5% 1.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Kazanlak

$40 4.6% 55.8% $51

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Kazanlak

$21 2.4% 71.9% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $337 in Kazanlak. 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 28% higher in Kazanlak, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $52 in Kazanlak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $201 – making Kazanlak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Kazanlak

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

49,032

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.514 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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 = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Kazanlak 350 km

From you

Istanbul
Kazanlak

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 Kazanlak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,309 in Kazanlak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kazanlak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $223 in Kazanlak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kazanlak, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Kazanlak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kazanlak – 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.

For expats, Kazanlak is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.