Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Olsztyn outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
Learn more

Olsztyn Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Olsztyn

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,816 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Olsztyn $1,816

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,678 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Olsztyn $2,678

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,540 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Olsztyn $3,540

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Olsztyn sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Olsztyn by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.84 zł 49.88

-4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$50.4 zł 196

8.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.92 zł 34.67

3.36%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.31 zł 12.85

32.93%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.51 zł 9.75

-33.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.87 zł 7.26

-68.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.98 zł 11.59

57.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.91 zł 15.18

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.05 zł 4.09

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.26 zł 4.90

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.42 zł 5.52

54.23%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.85 zł 14.95

-38.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.72 zł 37.77

7.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.34 zł 28.51

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.04 zł 58.5

39.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.23 zł 4.77

54.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.61 zł 6.25

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.80 zł 6.99

-28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.43 zł 13.32

-47.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.97 zł 3.78

-32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.17 zł 4.54

-45.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.37 zł 5.32

-8.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.68 zł 2.64

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.49 zł 21.32

-56.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.42 zł 28.84

80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.13 zł 4.39

112.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.54 zł 6.00

125.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.05 zł 4.07

-15.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$25.79 zł 100

161.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.08 zł 8.09

-37.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.74 zł 2.88

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$10.21 zł 39.67

7.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.66 zł 6.43

-11.45%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.4K zł 121.9K

61.90%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.5K zł 114.4K

51.20%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$329 zł 1,277

-73.04%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.17 zł 39.53

13.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.00 zł 73.8

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$50.7 zł 197

52.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$22.47 zł 87.3

1.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$9.12 zł 35.42

-10.75%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$378 zł 1,467

167.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$13.7K zł 53.4K

85.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$103 zł 399

-47.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$48.59 zł 189

-15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$103 zł 402

-4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$105 zł 406

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,004 zł 3,900

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$744 zł 2,892

-12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,685 zł 6,546

17.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,344 zł 5,221

-12.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,690 zł 14.3K

-14.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,548 zł 9,898

-30.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,374 zł 5,338

-12.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

7.52

444.15%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Olsztyn

$744 41% 14.5% $95

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Olsztyn

$238 13.1% 8.4% $22

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Olsztyn

$209 11.5% 6.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Olsztyn

$162 8.9% 23.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Olsztyn

$358 19.7% 208% $242

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Olsztyn

$69 3.8% 26.3% $25

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Olsztyn

$36 2% 53.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,004 in Olsztyn. 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 14% higher in Olsztyn, 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 $50.0 in Olsztyn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $238 – making Olsztyn the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

174,675

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Olsztyn 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Olsztyn

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Olsztyn is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,724 in Olsztyn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $378 in Olsztyn. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Olsztyn – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Olsztyn at $1,816. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olsztyn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Olsztyn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.