Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Mlava: $1,406 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
Learn more

Mlava Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mlava

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,406 in Mlava, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Mlava $1,406

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,992 in Mlava, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Mlava $1,992

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,577 in Mlava, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Mlava $2,577

Istanbul costs about 10% more than Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Mlava sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Mlava by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$10.13 zł 39.35

21.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$25.39 zł 98.7

115.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.60 zł 29.51

21.32%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.50 zł 9.70

76.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.86 zł 7.24

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.61 zł 6.25

-63.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.47 zł 9.58

90.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.78 zł 14.69

56.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.04 zł 4.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.66 zł 6.46

-46.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.96 zł 3.74

128.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.64 zł 14.13

-35.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.72 zł 33.87

19.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.86 zł 26.65

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.68 zł 45.38

79.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.36 zł 5.27

39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.73 zł 6.71

33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.56 zł 6.05

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.23 zł 12.55

-44.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.98 zł 3.81

-33.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.31 zł 5.11

-51.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.10 zł 4.27

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.69 zł 2.68

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.58 zł 17.79

-48.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.42 zł 24.94

109.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.06 zł 4.12

126.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.39 zł 5.41

150.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.96 zł 3.71

-7.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$32.25 zł 125

109.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.10 zł 8.14

-38.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.83 zł 3.21

10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$9.71 zł 37.71

12.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.57 zł 6.10

-6.37%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.7K zł 119.1K

65.66%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.4K zł 106.6K

62.33%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$283 zł 1,099

-68.69%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$6.26 zł 24.33

85.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$7.61 zł 29.55

107.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.86 zł 147

103.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$22.41 zł 87.1

1.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.21 zł 20.24

56.24%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$329 zł 1,279

206.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,139 zł 20.0K

397.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$80.3 zł 312

-32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.28 zł 145

9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$87.5 zł 340

13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$76.1 zł 296

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$608 zł 2,363

61.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$505 zł 1,962

28.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$979 zł 3,802

102.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$805 zł 3,129

46.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,881 zł 11.2K

8.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,203 zł 8,560

-19.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,013 zł 3,935

19.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.89

493.90%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Mlava

$505 35.9% 22.3% $145

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Mlava

$220 15.6% 15.4% $40

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Mlava

$168 11.9% 25% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Mlava

$127 9% 3.1% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Mlava

$297 21.1% 156% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Mlava

$48 3.4% 48.3% $45

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Mlava

$42 3% 45% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $608 in Mlava. 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 19% 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 $25.00 in Mlava. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $220 – making Mlava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Mlava

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

31,130

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Mlava 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mlava

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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 10%, 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 $2,109 in Mlava. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mlava, 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 $329 in Mlava. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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 Mlava, where all-in costs run around $1,406, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mlava it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mlava – 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 Mlava. 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.