Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Osijek

For one person, living is cheaper in Osijek: $1,408 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Istanbul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Osijek
Learn more

Osijek Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Osijek

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Osijek

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,408 in Osijek, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Osijek $1,408

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,194 in Osijek, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Osijek $2,194

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,979 in Osijek, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Osijek $2,979

Istanbul costs about 10% more than Osijek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.37 €10.12

8.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$56.2 €50.0

-2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.90 €7.92

3.60%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.63 €2.34

67.30%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.38 €3.01

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.88 €2.56

-79.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.62 €5.00

-16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.65 €5.03

4.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.16 €1.03

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.56 €1.39

-42.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.79 €2.49

-21.51%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.48 €3.09

-32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.86 €10.55

-12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$8.77 €7.80

-35.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.82 €10.51

77.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.72 €1.53

10.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.64 €1.46

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.86 €1.66

-31.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.57 €2.29

-29.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.27 €1.13

-48.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.20 €1.07

-46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.21 €1.07

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.14 €1.01

-50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.77 €5.13

-58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.81 €6.95

71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.56 €1.39

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.06 €1.84

68.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.66 €1.47

-46.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$36.60 €32.56

84.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.29 €2.04

-43.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.10 €0.98

-16.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$14.93 €13.28

-26.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.83 €1.63

-19.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.4K €23.4K

92.65%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$24.3K €21.6K

83.09%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$191 €170

-53.60%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.51 €19.13

-46.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$44.57 €39.65

-64.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$47.33 €42.10

63.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$8.86 €7.88

156.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$10.11 €9.00

-19.49%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$421 €374

139.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,171 €3,710

512.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$101 €89.8

-46.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$38.15 €33.93

7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$98.5 €87.6

0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$109 €97.2

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$640 €570

53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$405 €360

60.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,202 €1,069

65.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$809 €719

45.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,673 €2,378

17.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,162 €1,923

-17.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,368 €1,217

-11.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.72

1000.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Osijek: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Osijek

$405 28.7% 37.7% $245

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Osijek

$258 18.3% 0.5% $1.4

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Osijek

$214 15.2% 4.3% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Osijek

$156 11.1% 19.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Osijek

$257 18.3% 122% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Osijek

$68 4.8% 27.7% $26

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Osijek

$51 3.6% 33.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $640 in Osijek. 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 13% higher in Osijek, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $56.0 in Osijek. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $258 in Osijek – so Osijek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇷 Osijek

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

75,535

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Osijek 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Osijek

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 Osijek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,112 in Osijek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Osijek, 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 $421 in Osijek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 Osijek, where all-in costs run around $1,408, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Osijek it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Osijek – 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 Osijek. 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.