Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Resen

For one person, living is cheaper in Resen: $979 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Resen
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Resen Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Resen

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Resen

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $979 in Resen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Resen $979

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,481 in Resen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Resen $1,481

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,983 in Resen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Resen $1,983

Istanbul costs about 58% more than Resen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Resen is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.54 MKD 520

28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$34.85 MKD 1,901

56.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.46 MKD 352

42.72%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.05 MKD 112

114.63%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.88 MKD 103

-10.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.38 MKD 75.3

-57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.66 MKD 145

76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.62 MKD 143

125.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.29 MKD 70.3

-6.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.74 MKD 40.55

20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.77 MKD 96.5

23.73%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.52 MKD 137

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.84 MKD 428

32.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.24 MKD 395

-21.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.77 MKD 806

41.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.48 MKD 80.5

28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.38 MKD 75.4

67.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.31 MKD 71.3

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.97 MKD 107

-8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.82 MKD 44.79

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.83 MKD 45.54

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.59 MKD 32.32

111.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.59 MKD 32.25

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.49 MKD 190

-32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.19 MKD 392

86.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.03 MKD 56.1

133.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.43 MKD 78.0

143.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.68 MKD 36.90

30.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$22.53 MKD 1,229

199.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.12 MKD 61.0

15.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.61 MKD 33.28

50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.64 MKD 417

43.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.54 MKD 84.1

-4.55%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.5K MKD 1.9M

42.98%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.0K MKD 1.5M

64.76%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$155 MKD 8,458

-42.85%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.92 MKD 1,032

-38.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$19.05 MKD 1,039

-17.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$22.04 MKD 1,202

250.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.21 MKD 939

32.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.20 MKD 393

13.06%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$358 MKD 19.5K

181.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,591 MKD 305.0K

357.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$83.1 MKD 4,535

-35.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.50 MKD 2,045

8.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$101 MKD 5,513

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$112 MKD 6,108

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$296 MKD 16.1K

232.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$210 MKD 11.5K

209.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$543 MKD 29.6K

264.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$317 MKD 17.3K

272.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,431 MKD 78.0K

119.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,265 MKD 69.0K

40.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

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 Resen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Resen

$210 21.5% 67.7% $440

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Resen

$208 21.3% 19.8% $51

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Resen

$152 15.5% 32% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Resen

$150 15.3% 15% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Resen

$193 19.7% 66.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Resen

$36 3.7% 61% $57

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Resen

$29 3% 61.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $296 in Resen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $35.00 in Resen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $208 – making Resen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Resen

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

8,700

💱 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 Resen 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Resen

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,469 in Resen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Resen, 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 $358 in Resen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 Resen, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Resen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Resen – 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 Resen. 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.