Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Pula

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Pula: $1,550 and $1,577 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
Learn more

Pula Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Pula

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,577 in Pula, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Pula $1,577

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,504 in Pula, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Pula $2,504

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,432 in Pula, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Pula $3,432

Istanbul is about 2% cheaper than Pula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Istanbul and Pula sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Pula by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

$14.57 €13.01

-15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,702

$66.0 €58.9

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$8.89 €7.94

3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.48 €2.22

77.42%

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

$1.68 ₺82.9

$2.98 €2.66

-43.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.33

$2.11 €1.89

-72.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$3.29 €2.94

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.35 €3.88

35.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.9

$1.18 €1.05

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.00

$1.79 €1.60

-50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.20 €2.85

-31.56%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.90 €3.48

-39.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺515

$10.68 €9.54

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$10.67 €9.53

-47.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,034

$18.47 €16.50

13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.9

$1.91 €1.71

-0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.88 €1.68

22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$2.12 €1.89

-39.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.8

$2.55 €2.28

-29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.09

$1.31 €1.17

-50.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.84

$1.30 €1.16

-50.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.0

$1.31 €1.17

-4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.52

$1.21 €1.08

-53.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$5.54 €4.95

-57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺663

$7.80 €6.96

72.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.89 €1.69

26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.38 €2.13

46.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.74

$2.18 €1.95

-59.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,331

$33.87 €30.24

99.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.0

$3.38 €3.01

-61.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.60

$2.18 €1.94

-57.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$21.65 €19.33

-49.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.8

$1.78 €1.59

-17.42%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.0K €23.3K

94.99%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$26.9K €24.0K

65.56%

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

$88.6 ₺4,378

$156 €139

-43.04%

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

$11.59 ₺573

$22.06 €19.70

-47.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$40.22 €35.92

-60.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,812

$49.30 €44.03

56.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,123

$37.54 €33.53

-39.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$10.91 €9.74

-25.39%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$237 €212

324.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,769 €2,473

822.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,665

$115 €102

-52.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,017

$35.58 €31.77

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,885

$144 €128

-31.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,772

$133 €118

-27.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$667 €596

47.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$523 €467

24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.0K

$1,302 €1,163

52.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.3K

$1,004 €896

17.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.0K

$4,316 €3,854

-27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

$3,539 €3,160

-49.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

$1,520 €1,357

-20.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.54

1055.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Pula

$523 33.2% 19.5% $127

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Pula

$297 18.8% 14.4% $37

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Pula

$219 13.9% 2.1% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Pula

$192 12.2% 47% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Pula

$218 13.8% 87.8% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Pula

$71 4.5% 23.9% $22

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Pula

$57 3.6% 26.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $667 in Pula. 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 26% higher in Pula, 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 $66.0 in Pula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $297 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇷 Pula

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

13:07 1:07 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

52,220

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 49.4 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.32 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Pula 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Pula

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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pula is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,365 in Pula. 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 $237 in Pula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Pula, 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 Pula at $1,577. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pula 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, Pula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.