Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kutina

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Kutina: $1,550 and $1,595 a month, rent and utilities included.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Kutina
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,595
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kutina

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,595 in Kutina, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Kutina $1,595

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,413 in Kutina, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Kutina $2,413

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,231 in Kutina, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Kutina $3,231

Istanbul is about 3% cheaper than Kutina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Kutina sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Kutina by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺607
$14.42 €12.88
-14.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,702
$68.1 €60.8
-19.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺455
$8.80 €7.86
4.77%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.46 €2.19
78.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺82.9
$2.88 €2.57
-41.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.33
$2.08 €1.86
-71.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺232
$3.40 €3.04
38.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$4.42 €3.95
33.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺59.9
$1.22 €1.09
-0.82%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.00
$1.77 €1.58
-49.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$3.11 €2.78
-29.58%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.84 €3.43
-38.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺515
$10.73 €9.58
-2.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺279
$10.58 €9.45
-46.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,034
$18.46 €16.49
13.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺93.9
$1.96 €1.75
-3.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.95 €1.74
18.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.0
$2.13 €1.90
-39.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺88.8
$2.57 €2.30
-29.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.09
$1.31 €1.17
-50.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.84
$1.37 €1.22
-53.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.0
$1.31 €1.17
-4.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.52
$1.20 €1.07
-53.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺117
$5.44 €4.86
-56.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺663
$7.60 €6.78
76.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.91 €1.70
25.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.46 €2.20
41.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.74
$1.58 €1.41
-43.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,331
$44.36 €39.61
52.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.0
$3.38 €3.02
-61.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.60
$2.29 €2.05
-59.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺541
$22.03 €19.67
-50.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.8
$1.87 €1.67
-21.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$26.0K €23.2K
95.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$26.5K €23.6K
68.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,378
$151 €135
-41.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺573
$21.94 €19.59
-47.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺781
$40.42 €36.10
-60.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,812
$58.4 €52.2
32.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,123
$13.56 €12.11
67.70%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺402
$10.87 €9.71
-25.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.8K
$237 €212
325.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$2,748 €2,454
830.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,665
$115 €103
-53.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,017
$35.65 €31.83
14.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,885
$141 €126
-29.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,772
$130 €116
-25.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.6K
$691 €617
42.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.1K
$532 €475
22.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.0K
$1,019 €910
94.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.3K
$795 €710
48.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.0K
$3,579 €3,196
-12.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺87.9K
$2,666 €2,380
-33.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Kutina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.54
1055.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kutina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Kutina
$532 18.1% $117
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Kutina
$297 14.4% $37
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Kutina
$217 2.8% $6.4
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Kutina
$189 45% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Kutina
$213 84% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Kutina
$80 14.2% $13
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Kutina
$66 14.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $691 in Kutina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $68.0 in Kutina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $297 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇭🇷 Kutina
🕒 Local time
14:49 2:49 PM
13:49 1:49 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
19,601
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 49.4 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.32 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Kutina 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Kutina

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 Kutina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kutina cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Kutina is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,392 in Kutina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $237 in Kutina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Kutina?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Kutina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Kutina?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Kutina at $1,595. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kutina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Kutina more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Kutina?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kutina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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