Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Prilep

For one person, living is cheaper in Prilep: $728 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Prilep
Learn more

Prilep Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Prilep

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Prilep

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $728 in Prilep, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Prilep $728

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,102 in Prilep, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Prilep $1,102

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,475 in Prilep, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Prilep $1,475

Istanbul costs about 113% more than Prilep, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Prilep is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.02 MKD 219

205.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$27.36 MKD 1,493

99.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.69 MKD 311

62.04%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.40 MKD 76.2

214.29%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.53 MKD 83.7

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.24 MKD 67.7

-52.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.58 MKD 86.0

197.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.04 MKD 111

189.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.13 MKD 61.4

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.72 MKD 39.21

23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.53 MKD 83.5

43.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.03 MKD 110

15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$6.91 MKD 377

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.86 MKD 320

-3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.88 MKD 594

92.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$0.87 MKD 47.62

118.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.38 MKD 75.5

67.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.94 MKD 51.1

36.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.30 MKD 71.2

38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.78 MKD 42.29

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.77 MKD 42.04

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.59 MKD 32.01

111.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.45 MKD 24.62

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.86 MKD 156

-17.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.94 MKD 269

171.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.95 MKD 51.8

152.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.18 MKD 64.6

194.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.37 MKD 20.43

140.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$18.48 MKD 1,008

264.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.06 MKD 57.8

21.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.60 MKD 32.82

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.51 MKD 355

68.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.46 MKD 79.7

0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.3K MKD 1.8M

52.45%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

65.63%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$121 MKD 6,627

-27.06%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$16.81 MKD 917

-31.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$13.98 MKD 763

13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$19.64 MKD 1,072

292.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$8.20 MKD 448

177.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.31 MKD 290

53.30%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$277 MKD 15.1K

263.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,161 MKD 63.3K

2101.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$36.80 MKD 2,008

46.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.16 MKD 1,973

12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$65.3 MKD 3,562

51.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$77.5 MKD 4,229

24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$233 MKD 12.7K

322.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$169 MKD 9,201

285.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$497 MKD 27.1K

298.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$271 MKD 14.8K

335.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,021 MKD 55.7K

207.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$813 MKD 44.3K

119.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$586 MKD 32.0K

105.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.23

867.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Prilep: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Prilep

$169 23.2% 74% $481

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Prilep

$167 22.9% 35.7% $93

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Prilep

$89 12.2% 60.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Prilep

$97 13.3% 25.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Prilep

$152 20.9% 31.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Prilep

$30 4.2% 67.6% $63

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Prilep

$24 3.3% 68.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $233 in Prilep. 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 106% 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 $27.00 in Prilep. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $167 – making Prilep the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Prilep

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

07:58 7:58 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

63,308

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Prilep 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Prilep

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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 113%, 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 $1,092 in Prilep. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prilep, 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 $277 in Prilep. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Prilep, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Prilep it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prilep – 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 Prilep. 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.