Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $945 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Satu Mare

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $945 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Satu Mare $945

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,531 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Satu Mare $1,531

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,117 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Satu Mare $2,117

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Satu Mare is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.30 RON 48.96

14.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$74.3 RON 353

-26.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$6.24 RON 29.65

48.40%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.53 RON 12.01

69.96%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.49 RON 7.09

18.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.32 RON 6.27

-57.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.90 RON 9.05

146.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.45 RON 11.64

190.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.30 RON 6.16

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.03 RON 4.90

-14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.10 RON 5.20

100.00%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.54 RON 12.08

-4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.12 RON 33.82

47.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$7.41 RON 35.19

-28.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$10.71 RON 50.9

97.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.13 RON 5.37

64.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.36 RON 6.46

69.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.25 RON 5.92

-2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.39 RON 6.61

29.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.13 RON 5.37

-38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.35 RON 6.41

-52.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.92 RON 4.39

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 RON 3.36

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.54 RON 26.32

-57.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$6.28 RON 29.82

107.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.22 RON 5.82

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.77 RON 8.39

87.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.50 RON 2.39

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$22.64 RON 108

192.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.86 RON 4.09

48.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.87 RON 4.15

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$8.06 RON 38.30

37.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.50 RON 7.11

-1.33%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$22.4K RON 106.3K

117.42%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.8K RON 118.1K

68.92%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$123 RON 586

-24.88%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.33 RON 34.81

52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$6.97 RON 33.10

127.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$42.74 RON 203

74.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$10.50 RON 49.89

118.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.19 RON 29.41

30.05%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$155 RON 735

512.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$3,843 RON 18.3K

860.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$61.3 RON 291

-12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$28.48 RON 135

45.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$85.1 RON 404

18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$69.5 RON 330

31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$317 RON 1,506

219.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$260 RON 1,237

139.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$640 RON 3,041

213.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$400 RON 1,901

181.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,001 RON 4,756

198.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,063 RON 5,049

62.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$655 RON 3,113

73.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.05

473.33%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Satu Mare

$260 27.6% 58.3% $364

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Satu Mare

$195 20.6% 24.7% $64

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Satu Mare

$157 16.6% 28.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Satu Mare

$110 11.6% 15.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Satu Mare

$138 14.6% 15% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Satu Mare

$55 5.8% 39.3% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Satu Mare

$30 3.2% 60.3% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $317 in Satu Mare. 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 73% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $74 in Satu Mare. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $195 in Satu Mare – so Satu Mare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

102,411

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Satu Mare 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,417 in Satu Mare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Satu Mare, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $317 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $155 in Satu Mare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $945 in Satu Mare. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Satu Mare – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Satu Mare. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.