Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Plzen

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,758 in Plzen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Plzen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Plzen
Learn more

Plzen Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Plzen

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Plzen

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,758 in Plzen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Plzen $1,758

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,442 in Plzen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Plzen $2,442

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,126 in Plzen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Plzen $3,126

Istanbul is about 12% cheaper than Plzen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Plzen sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Plzen by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.55 Kč 250

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$50.1 Kč 1,084

9.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.94 Kč 193

3.13%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.03 Kč 65.5

45.21%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.99 Kč 42.93

-15.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.78 Kč 38.52

-66.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.71 Kč 58.7

73.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.80 Kč 60.5

111.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.13 Kč 24.43

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.59 Kč 34.43

-44.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.98 Kč 64.3

-26.51%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.84 Kč 83.0

-38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.58 Kč 294

-23.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$10.06 Kč 218

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.19 Kč 350

29.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.18 Kč 47.23

-12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.86 Kč 40.22

24.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.19 Kč 47.39

-41.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.54 Kč 76.7

-49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.21 Kč 26.13

-46.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.21 Kč 26.15

-47.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.63 Kč 35.32

-23.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.76 Kč 16.54

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.90 Kč 149

-65.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.70 Kč 145

100.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.40 Kč 30.31

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.73 Kč 37.31

101.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.29 Kč 27.91

-31.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$27.05 Kč 585

149.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.11 Kč 45.54

-38.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.38 Kč 29.94

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$13.80 Kč 298

-20.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.87 Kč 40.39

-21.39%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.2K Kč 652.8K

68.24%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.4K Kč 635.7K

51.49%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$276 Kč 5,973

-67.92%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.19 Kč 372

-32.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$15.98 Kč 346

-1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$59.5 Kč 1,286

29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$14.43 Kč 312

57.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$11.29 Kč 244

-27.90%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$331 Kč 7,165

204.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$10.9K Kč 236.1K

134.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$78.9 Kč 1,706

-31.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$42.82 Kč 926

-4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$86.1 Kč 1,863

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$110 Kč 2,371

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$720 Kč 15.6K

36.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$704 Kč 15.2K

-7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$928 Kč 20.1K

113.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$908 Kč 19.6K

29.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$5,061 Kč 109.5K

-38.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$4,070 Kč 88.0K

-56.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,905 Kč 41.2K

-36.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.8

752.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Plzen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Plzen

$704 40.1% 8.4% $55

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Plzen

$288 16.4% 11% $29

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Plzen

$190 10.8% 15% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Plzen

$143 8.1% 9.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Plzen

$309 17.6% 167% $193

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Plzen

$82 4.7% 12.2% $11

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Plzen

$41 2.4% 46.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $720 in Plzen. 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 58% higher in Plzen, 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 Plzen. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $288 in Plzen – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇨🇿 Plzen

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

168,951

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR 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).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Istanbul
Plzen

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 Plzen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Plzen is pricier by about 13%, 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 $2,637 in Plzen. 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 $331 in Plzen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Plzen, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Plzen at $1,758. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plzen 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, Plzen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.