Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Paszto

For one person, living is cheaper in Paszto: $1,347 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Paszto
Learn more

Paszto Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Paszto

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Paszto

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,347 in Paszto, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Paszto $1,347

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,021 in Paszto, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Paszto $2,021

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,695 in Paszto, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Paszto $2,695

Istanbul costs about 15% more than Paszto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Paszto sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Paszto by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.57 Ft 3,729

6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$61.7 Ft 19.9K

-11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$9.02 Ft 2,908

2.22%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.44 Ft 788

80.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.31 Ft 421

28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$1.23 Ft 395

-52.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.66 Ft 535

183.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.23 Ft 718

165.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.21 Ft 390

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$1.58 Ft 510

-43.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.39 Ft 771

-8.37%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.35 Ft 1,078

-29.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.50 Ft 3,386

-0.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.81 Ft 2,195

-17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.46 Ft 5,306

27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.50 Ft 804

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.30 Ft 740

0.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.54 Ft 818

-49.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.87 Ft 1,247

-53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.12 Ft 363

-41.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.35 Ft 435

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.78 Ft 575

-29.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.58 Ft 187

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$8.92 Ft 2,876

-73.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.73 Ft 1,524

183.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.38 Ft 444

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.51 Ft 808

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$1.07 Ft 343

-16.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$23.46 Ft 7,561

187.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.40 Ft 1,096

-62.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$1.43 Ft 460

-35.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$24.24 Ft 7,812

-54.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.81 Ft 585

-18.78%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.5K Ft 9.8M

66.44%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.0K Ft 11.6M

23.73%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$166 Ft 53.5K

-46.65%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.09 Ft 6,799

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.02 Ft 6,776

-24.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$52.4 Ft 16.9K

47.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$19.69 Ft 6,347

15.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.93 Ft 2,878

-8.85%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$433 Ft 139.5K

132.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,625 Ft 2.5M

235.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$102 Ft 33.0K

-47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$51.2 Ft 16.5K

-20.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$96.7 Ft 31.2K

2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$110 Ft 35.3K

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$546 Ft 176.0K

80.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$433 Ft 139.7K

49.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$660 Ft 212.8K

200.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$584 Ft 188.3K

102.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,765 Ft 891.2K

13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,444 Ft 787.7K

-27.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$736 Ft 237.2K

63.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

411.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Paszto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Paszto

$433 32.2% 33.3% $216

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Paszto

$263 19.5% 1.3% $3.4

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Paszto

$172 12.8% 23% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Paszto

$162 12% 24% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Paszto

$208 15.5% 79.5% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Paszto

$70 5.2% 24.9% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Paszto

$38 2.8% 50.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $546 in Paszto. 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 64% 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 $62.0 in Paszto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $263 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Paszto

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

9,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Paszto 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Paszto

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 Paszto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 15%, 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 $2,020 in Paszto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paszto, 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 $433 in Paszto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paszto, where all-in costs run around $1,347, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Paszto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paszto – 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 Paszto. 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.