Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kecskemet

For one person, living is cheaper in Kecskemet: $1,171 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Kecskemet
Learn more

Kecskemet Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kecskemet

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kecskemet

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,171 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kecskemet $1,171

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,730 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kecskemet $1,730

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,289 in Kecskemet, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kecskemet $2,289

Istanbul costs about 32% more than Kecskemet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kecskemet is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.16 Ft 2,959

34.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$30.07 Ft 9,715

81.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.81 Ft 2,524

18.05%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.57 Ft 507

180.25%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.56 Ft 505

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.20 Ft 389

-50.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.22 Ft 718

111.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.27 Ft 733

160.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.23 Ft 396

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.28 Ft 414

-30.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.41 Ft 777

-9.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.69 Ft 1,192

-36.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.38 Ft 3,354

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.71 Ft 2,166

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.61 Ft 4,398

53.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.83 Ft 591

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.67 Ft 539

38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.82 Ft 588

-29.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.14 Ft 1,015

-42.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.99 Ft 318

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.05 Ft 340

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.21 Ft 391

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.51 Ft 166

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.87 Ft 2,220

-65.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$3.73 Ft 1,207

259.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.22 Ft 394

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.97 Ft 636

76.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.12 Ft 361

-20.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$18.54 Ft 5,991

263.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.23 Ft 398

4.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.63 Ft 528

-43.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$18.17 Ft 5,870

-39.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.81 Ft 584

-18.78%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

70.24%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.5K Ft 10.5M

36.98%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$130 Ft 42.1K

-31.98%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$32.28 Ft 10.4K

-64.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.37 Ft 6,257

-18.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$61.0 Ft 19.7K

26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$27.61 Ft 8,921

-17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.78 Ft 2,512

4.63%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$246 Ft 79.4K

310.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,687 Ft 2.2M

282.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$114 Ft 37.0K

-52.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$15.05 Ft 4,863

171.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$46.46 Ft 15.0K

112.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$75.6 Ft 24.4K

27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$513 Ft 165.6K

92.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$394 Ft 127.4K

64.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$695 Ft 224.7K

185.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$592 Ft 191.1K

99.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,321 Ft 749.9K

35.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,964 Ft 634.4K

-9.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,099 Ft 355.1K

9.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.67

513.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kecskemet: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kecskemet

$394 33.7% 39.3% $255

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kecskemet

$231 19.7% 11.2% $29

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kecskemet

$142 12.1% 36.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kecskemet

$113 9.7% 13.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kecskemet

$182 15.5% 56.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kecskemet

$77 6.5% 18.1% $17

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kecskemet

$32 2.8% 57.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $513 in Kecskemet. 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 10% higher in Istanbul, 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 $30.00 in Kecskemet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $231 – making Kecskemet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Kecskemet

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

109,450

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kecskemet 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kecskemet

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 Kecskemet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 32%, 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 $1,757 in Kecskemet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% 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 Kecskemet, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kecskemet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kecskemet – 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 Kecskemet. 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.