Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kragujevac

For one person, living is cheaper in Kragujevac: $1,154 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Kragujevac
Learn more

Kragujevac Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Kragujevac

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kragujevac

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,154 in Kragujevac, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Kragujevac $1,154

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,777 in Kragujevac, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Kragujevac $1,777

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,400 in Kragujevac, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Kragujevac $2,400

Istanbul costs about 32% more than Kragujevac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Kragujevac is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$10.37 RSD 1,081

14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$42.32 RSD 4,408

30.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$9.69 RSD 1,009

-5.68%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.98 RSD 206

114.14%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.31 RSD 241

-24.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.36 RSD 141

-60.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.66 RSD 277

76.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.37 RSD 351

77.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.29 RSD 135

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.58 RSD 60.1

63.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.87 RSD 194

23.53%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.46 RSD 256

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$9.60 RSD 1,000

9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.39 RSD 665

-12.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.42 RSD 1,190

85.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.19 RSD 124

62.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.81 RSD 188

26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.63 RSD 170

-21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.28 RSD 237

-19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.06 RSD 111

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.21 RSD 126

-51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.01 RSD 105

31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.63 RSD 66.0

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.39 RSD 457

-46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.68 RSD 800

75.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$0.92 RSD 95.8

163.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.31 RSD 241

53.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$1.46 RSD 152

-43.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$29.11 RSD 3,033

128.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.40 RSD 146

-3.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.92 RSD 95.9

-7.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$5.38 RSD 560

101.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.85 RSD 193

-20.54%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

68.29%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

71.11%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$188 RSD 19.6K

-52.58%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$27.49 RSD 2,863

-57.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$31.86 RSD 3,319

-49.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$30.23 RSD 3,150

155.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$20.20 RSD 2,104

12.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.59 RSD 582

49.19%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$173 RSD 18.0K

463.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,866 RSD 402.7K

566.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$60.2 RSD 6,271

-12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$66.1 RSD 6,880

-40.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$124 RSD 12.9K

-16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$119 RSD 12.4K

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$392 RSD 40.9K

153.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$306 RSD 31.9K

105.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$630 RSD 65.6K

221.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$498 RSD 51.9K

131.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,215 RSD 230.8K

42.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,597 RSD 166.4K

15.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$928 RSD 96.7K

29.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.84

748.97%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kragujevac: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Kragujevac

$306 25.9% 51.4% $323

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Kragujevac

$208 17.6% 21.4% $56

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Kragujevac

$170 14.5% 21.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Kragujevac

$166 14.1% 26.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Kragujevac

$248 21% 112% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Kragujevac

$41 3.5% 55.9% $53

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Kragujevac

$41 3.5% 45.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $392 in Kragujevac. 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 30% 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 $42.00 in Kragujevac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $208 – making Kragujevac the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇸 Kragujevac

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

146,315

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kragujevac 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kragujevac

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 Kragujevac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,731 in Kragujevac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $173 in Kragujevac. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Kragujevac, where all-in costs run around $1,154, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kragujevac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kragujevac – 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 Kragujevac. 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.