Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Pabianice

For one person, living is cheaper in Pabianice: $1,324 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Pabianice
Learn more

Pabianice Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Pabianice

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Pabianice

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,324 in Pabianice, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Pabianice $1,324

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,972 in Pabianice, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Pabianice $1,972

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,621 in Pabianice, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Pabianice $2,621

Istanbul costs about 17% more than Pabianice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Pabianice is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.85 zł 38.27

24.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$46.90 zł 182

16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.12 zł 35.44

1.10%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.54 zł 13.75

24.29%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.02 zł 7.83

-16.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.57 zł 6.11

-62.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.59 zł 10.06

81.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.00 zł 15.53

47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.91 zł 3.55

32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.05 zł 4.08

-15.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.32 zł 5.14

65.91%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.88 zł 11.18

-18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.71 zł 29.96

35.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.00 zł 23.31

-5.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.75 zł 45.66

78.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.08 zł 4.19

75.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.60 zł 6.23

44.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.57 zł 6.12

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.89 zł 11.23

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.79 zł 3.07

-17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.94 zł 3.64

-31.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.38 zł 5.37

-9.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.52 zł 2.04

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.60 zł 17.88

-48.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.57 zł 25.53

104.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.16 zł 4.51

106.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.75 zł 6.78

98.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.05 zł 4.09

-15.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$30.64 zł 119

120.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.05 zł 7.98

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.55 zł 2.13

67.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.52 zł 25.33

68.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.53 zł 5.95

-3.92%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K zł 116.0K

70.09%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$26.9K zł 104.5K

65.60%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$183 zł 711

-51.61%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$8.34 zł 32.40

38.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$16.63 zł 64.6

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$43.33 zł 168

78.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$18.86 zł 73.3

20.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.44 zł 28.92

9.41%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$245 zł 952

311.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,111 zł 19.9K

400.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$74.3 zł 288

-27.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$39.03 zł 152

4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$81.5 zł 316

21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$97.6 zł 379

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$615 zł 2,390

60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$503 zł 1,956

29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$988 zł 3,839

100.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$828 zł 3,217

42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,847 zł 11.1K

10.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,243 zł 8,715

-20.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$987 zł 3,835

22.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.21

558.94%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pabianice: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Pabianice

$503 38% 22.5% $146

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Pabianice

$199 15% 23.3% $61

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Pabianice

$184 13.9% 17.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Pabianice

$132 9.9% 0.7% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Pabianice

$208 15.7% 79.3% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Pabianice

$58 4.4% 37.7% $35

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Pabianice

$40 3% 48.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $615 in Pabianice. 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 22% 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 $47.00 in Pabianice. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $199 – making Pabianice the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Pabianice

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

63,479

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Pabianice 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Pabianice

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 Pabianice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,986 in Pabianice. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pabianice, 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 $245 in Pabianice. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 Pabianice, where all-in costs run around $1,324, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Pabianice it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pabianice – 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 Pabianice. 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.