Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mostar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostar: $899 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Mostar
Learn more

Mostar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Mostar

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mostar

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $899 in Mostar, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Mostar $899

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,402 in Mostar, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Mostar $1,402

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,904 in Mostar, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Mostar $1,904

Istanbul costs about 72% more than Mostar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Mostar is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$6.85 BAM 11.91

79.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.14 BAM 54.2

75.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.67 BAM 9.86

62.61%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.65 BAM 2.86

166.67%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.83 BAM 3.18

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.34 BAM 4.07

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.09 BAM 3.64

182.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.16 BAM 2.01

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.97 BAM 3.43

11.17%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.63 BAM 4.58

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.77 BAM 13.52

34.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.40 BAM 12.87

-23.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.58 BAM 18.39

97.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.10 BAM 1.91

72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.65 BAM 2.87

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.35 BAM 2.35

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.15 BAM 1.99

56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.04 BAM 1.80

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-34.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.71 BAM 1.24

76.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.71 BAM 1.23

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.92 BAM 6.82

-39.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.04 BAM 7.02

232.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.80 BAM 1.39

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.89 BAM 1.54

291.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.11 BAM 1.94

-19.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$36.85 BAM 64.1

82.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.73 BAM 3.00

-25.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.55 BAM 0.96

67.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.77 BAM 10.03

89.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.51 BAM 2.63

-2.65%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K BAM 52.0K

69.94%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.3K BAM 37.0K

109.39%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$90.6 BAM 158

-2.21%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.70 BAM 30.77

-34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$26.06 BAM 45.31

-39.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$35.45 BAM 61.6

117.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$10.08 BAM 17.54

125.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.77 BAM 10.04

41.07%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$135 BAM 235

646.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$18.5K BAM 32.2K

38.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$57.9 BAM 101

-6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.01 BAM 55.7

27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$87.0 BAM 151

13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$81.3 BAM 141

18.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$432 BAM 752

127.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$249 BAM 433

161.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$663 BAM 1,153

199.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$459 BAM 798

157.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,305 BAM 4,008

36.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,582 BAM 2,751

12.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$860 BAM 1,495

40.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.3

851.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mostar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Mostar

$249 27.7% 61.7% $401

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Mostar

$188 20.9% 27.7% $72

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Mostar

$119 13.3% 46.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Mostar

$116 12.9% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Mostar

$134 14.9% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Mostar

$47 5.2% 49.7% $46

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Mostar

$46 5.1% 40.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $432 in Mostar. 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 40% 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 $31.00 in Mostar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $188 – making Mostar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Mostar

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

60,195

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Mostar 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mostar

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 Mostar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 72%, 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 $1,349 in Mostar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mostar, 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 $135 in Mostar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mostar, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mostar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mostar – 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 Mostar. 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.