Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Krusevac

For one person, living is cheaper in Krusevac: $1,083 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Krusevac
Learn more

Krusevac Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Krusevac

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Krusevac

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,083 in Krusevac, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Krusevac $1,083

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,634 in Krusevac, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Krusevac $1,634

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,185 in Krusevac, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Krusevac $2,185

Istanbul costs about 43% more than Krusevac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Krusevac is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.22 RSD 1,066

20.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$50.2 RSD 5,232

8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.82 RSD 1,024

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.69 RSD 176

160.36%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.68 RSD 176

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.18 RSD 123

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.60 RSD 271

80.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.27 RSD 341

80.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.40 RSD 146

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.54 RSD 56.6

64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.38 RSD 144

58.70%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.67 RSD 279

-11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.81 RSD 606

79.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.21 RSD 751

-21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.03 RSD 1,463

49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.69 RSD 176

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.88 RSD 196

22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.60 RSD 167

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.08 RSD 217

-13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.03 RSD 107

-36.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.68 RSD 71.4

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.00 RSD 104

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.60 RSD 62.2

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.66 RSD 485

-49.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.62 RSD 586

138.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.82 RSD 85.6

192.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.93 RSD 96.7

274.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.62 RSD 64.4

43.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$24.15 RSD 2,518

179.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.12 RSD 117

15.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.95 RSD 98.7

-3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.73 RSD 806

41.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.84 RSD 192

-20.11%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.8K RSD 3.2M

64.95%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$25.6K RSD 2.7M

74.15%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$221 RSD 23.0K

-59.85%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$20.71 RSD 2,159

-44.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$31.18 RSD 3,251

-49.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$24.13 RSD 2,516

219.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$23.78 RSD 2,479

-4.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.38 RSD 770

10.30%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$313 RSD 32.6K

222.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,538 RSD 785.8K

239.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$85.4 RSD 8,900

-36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$23.52 RSD 2,452

73.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$113 RSD 11.7K

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$127 RSD 13.2K

-23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$300 RSD 31.2K

228.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$219 RSD 22.9K

196.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$455 RSD 47.5K

335.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$321 RSD 33.4K

268.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,128 RSD 221.9K

47.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,587 RSD 165.4K

12.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$775 RSD 80.8K

55.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.21

685.41%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Krusevac: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Krusevac

$219 20.3% 66.2% $430

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Krusevac

$201 18.5% 22.7% $59

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Krusevac

$163 15% 27.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Krusevac

$157 14.5% 20.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Krusevac

$273 25.2% 135% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Krusevac

$39 3.6% 58.4% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Krusevac

$32 3% 57.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $300 in Krusevac. 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 55% 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 $50.0 in Krusevac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $201 – making Krusevac the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇸 Krusevac

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

53,746

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Krusevac 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Krusevac

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 Krusevac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,625 in Krusevac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Krusevac, 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 $313 in Krusevac. 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 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 Krusevac, where all-in costs run around $1,083, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Krusevac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Krusevac – 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 Krusevac. 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.