Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Neum

For one person, living is cheaper in Neum: $955 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Neum
Learn more

Neum Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Neum

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$955

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Neum

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $955 in Neum, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Neum $955

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,410 in Neum, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Neum $1,410

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,866 in Neum, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Neum $1,866

Istanbul costs about 62% more than Neum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Neum is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

$5.29 BAM 9.24

132.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,700

$30.98 BAM 54.1

76.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$5.67 BAM 9.91

62.61%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

$1.90 BAM 3.32

131.58%

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

$1.90 BAM 3.33

-11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.18 BAM 2.07

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$2.52 BAM 4.41

86.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.19 BAM 3.83

169.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

$1.12 BAM 1.96

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.97

$0.95 BAM 1.65

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.07 BAM 3.62

5.80%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.57 BAM 4.48

-8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

$7.88 BAM 13.77

32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$7.37 BAM 12.87

-23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

$10.39 BAM 18.15

101.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

$1.12 BAM 1.96

69.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.62 BAM 2.83

42.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$1.36 BAM 2.37

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.7

$1.20 BAM 2.09

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.07

$0.98 BAM 1.72

-33.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.82

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

$0.76 BAM 1.32

64.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.50

$0.71 BAM 1.24

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$3.93 BAM 6.86

-39.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

$3.99 BAM 6.96

236.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.78 BAM 1.36

207.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.89 BAM 1.55

291.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.71

$1.27 BAM 2.21

-29.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,328

$57.4 BAM 100

17.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

$1.74 BAM 3.05

-25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.56

$0.60 BAM 1.04

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$5.79 BAM 10.11

89.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

$1.55 BAM 2.70

-5.16%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K BAM 52.2K

70.08%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.3K BAM 37.3K

108.82%

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

$88.6 ₺4,374

$135 BAM 237

-34.56%

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

$11.59 ₺572

$17.64 BAM 30.82

-34.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$25.86 BAM 45.18

-38.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,809

$32.47 BAM 56.7

137.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,122

$11.52 BAM 20.13

97.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$5.74 BAM 10.02

41.81%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$198 BAM 346

409.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,317 BAM 4,048

1003.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,663

$59.4 BAM 104

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,015

$33.42 BAM 58.4

22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,881

$85.8 BAM 150

15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,768

$83.3 BAM 146

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$345 BAM 603

185.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$248 BAM 433

162.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.9K

$506 BAM 884

291.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.3K

$355 BAM 620

232.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.9K

$2,410 BAM 4,210

30.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

$1,786 BAM 3,120

-0.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

$847 BAM 1,480

42.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.9

1311.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Neum: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Neum

$248 25.9% 61.9% $402

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Neum

$188 19.7% 27.7% $72

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Neum

$112 11.7% 50.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Neum

$118 12.4% 9.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Neum

$179 18.7% 54.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Neum

$44 4.6% 53% $50

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Neum

$67 7% 12.6% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $345 in Neum. 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 42% 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 Neum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $188 – making Neum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Neum

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,200

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 BAM = 0.572 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Neum 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Neum

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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, 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 $1,432 in Neum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Neum, 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 $198 in Neum. 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 Neum, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Neum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Neum – 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 Neum. 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.