Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Medias

For one person, living is cheaper in Medias: $1,102 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Medias
Learn more

Medias Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Medias

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Medias

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,102 in Medias, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Medias $1,102

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,683 in Medias, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Medias $1,683

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,263 in Medias, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Medias $2,263

Istanbul costs about 38% more than Medias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Medias is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$11.14 RON 52.9

6.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$51.8 RON 246

6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.35 RON 34.93

25.99%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.70 RON 17.58

16.22%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.46 RON 11.68

-28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$2.25 RON 10.71

-75.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.20 RON 15.19

46.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.27 RON 15.55

117.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.23 RON 5.83

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.43 RON 6.77

-38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.73 RON 8.24

27.17%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.59 RON 17.04

-32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.65 RON 41.11

21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.69 RON 31.80

-20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$12.89 RON 61.3

63.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.48 RON 7.02

25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.48 RON 7.04

55.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.55 RON 7.35

-21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.58 RON 12.27

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.77 RON 3.66

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.75 RON 3.57

-14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.80 RON 3.78

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.75 RON 3.56

-22.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$6.21 RON 29.49

-62.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.54 RON 35.84

72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.23 RON 5.83

91.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.80 RON 8.55

84.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.70 RON 3.31

25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$23.96 RON 114

175.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.66 RON 3.14

93.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.68 RON 3.22

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$6.60 RON 31.34

68.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.38 RON 6.56

7.25%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.0K RON 137.9K

67.63%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.2K RON 119.9K

66.27%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$180 RON 857

-48.60%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.25 RON 34.46

54.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$9.26 RON 43.97

71.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$37.03 RON 176

101.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$20.31 RON 96.5

13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.12 RON 29.08

31.54%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$438 RON 2,082

116.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$7,770 RON 36.9K

375.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$52.3 RON 249

2.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$35.51 RON 169

16.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$73.5 RON 349

37.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$90.8 RON 432

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$389 RON 1,850

160.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$292 RON 1,389

113.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$602 RON 2,861

233.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$453 RON 2,151

148.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,039 RON 9,687

46.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,480 RON 7,034

16.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.23

459.06%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medias: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Medias

$292 26.5% 53.2% $332

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Medias

$222 20.2% 14% $36

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Medias

$197 17.9% 10.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Medias

$113 10.3% 12.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Medias

$197 17.9% 64.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Medias

$49 4.5% 45.7% $42

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Medias

$31 2.8% 59% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $389 in Medias. 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 in Istanbul versus $52 in Medias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $222 – making Medias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Medias

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

53,564

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Medias 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Medias

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 Medias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,653 in Medias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $389 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $438 in Medias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medias, where all-in costs run around $1,102, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Medias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medias – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Medias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 27% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.