Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kicevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kicevo: $888 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kicevo
Learn more

Kicevo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Kicevo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kicevo

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $888 in Kicevo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Kicevo $888

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,308 in Kicevo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Kicevo $1,308

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,727 in Kicevo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Kicevo $1,727

Istanbul costs about 72% more than Kicevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Kicevo is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$3.93 MKD 214

204.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$18.45 MKD 1,006

210.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$4.45 MKD 243

113.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.13 MKD 61.6

289.38%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.34 MKD 73.1

30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.75 MKD 40.78

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$2.33 MKD 127

102.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.24 MKD 122

174.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.28 MKD 69.6

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.52 MKD 28.25

82.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.77 MKD 96.7

28.81%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$2.37 MKD 129

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$7.37 MKD 402

43.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$7.57 MKD 413

-27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$14.61 MKD 797

48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.43 MKD 78.1

27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.38 MKD 75.1

65.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.32 MKD 72.1

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.88 MKD 103

-3.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.84 MKD 46.08

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.84 MKD 45.58

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$0.63 MKD 34.62

101.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.35 MKD 19.09

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$2.84 MKD 155

-16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$5.28 MKD 288

145.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.02 MKD 55.9

143.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$1.44 MKD 78.4

143.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.76 MKD 41.55

7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$23.27 MKD 1,269

180.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$1.07 MKD 58.4

24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.62 MKD 33.66

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$7.66 MKD 418

42.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.39 MKD 76.1

2.88%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$35.6K MKD 1.9M

39.40%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$27.6K MKD 1.5M

56.51%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$158 MKD 8,619

-43.82%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$17.88 MKD 975

-34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$19.13 MKD 1,043

-15.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$21.61 MKD 1,179

252.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$17.24 MKD 941

31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$7.12 MKD 388

16.01%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$348 MKD 19.0K

191.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,689 MKD 310.3K

354.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$85.0 MKD 4,636

-37.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$36.90 MKD 2,013

9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$101 MKD 5,516

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$113 MKD 6,185

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$276 MKD 15.0K

254.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$195 MKD 10.6K

221.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$507 MKD 27.6K

290.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$303 MKD 16.5K

278.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,496 MKD 81.6K

106.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$1,151 MKD 62.8K

55.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$567 MKD 30.9K

113.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

4.23

861.94%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kicevo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Kicevo

$195 22% 68.9% $432

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Kicevo

$198 22.3% 24.6% $65

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Kicevo

$83 9.3% 62.7% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kicevo

$151 17% 17% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Kicevo

$195 22% 67.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Kicevo

$36 4% 61.4% $57

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Kicevo

$30 3.4% 59% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $276 in Kicevo. 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 114% 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $18.00 in Kicevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $198 – making Kicevo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Kicevo

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

31,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kicevo 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kicevo

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 Kicevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,333 in Kicevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $348 in Kicevo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kicevo, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Kicevo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kicevo – 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 Kicevo. 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.