Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $909 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
Learn more

Stara Zagora Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $909 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Stara Zagora $909

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,416 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Stara Zagora $1,416

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,923 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Stara Zagora $1,923

Istanbul costs about 67% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Stara Zagora is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.19 BGN 17.73

15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$52.3 BGN 91.0

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.03 BGN 15.71

2.55%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.28 BGN 3.97

88.60%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.57 BGN 2.74

12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.81 BGN 1.42

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.21 BGN 3.85

112.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.94 BGN 3.38

267.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.80 BGN 1.39

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.50 BGN 2.61

46.67%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.29 BGN 3.98

6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$9.47 BGN 16.47

10.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$6.30 BGN 10.97

-15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.24 BGN 14.34

156.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.27 BGN 2.21

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.65 BGN 2.88

39.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-29.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.94 BGN 3.37

-7.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.99 BGN 1.72

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.72 BGN 1.26

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.55 BGN 0.96

147.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.67 BGN 1.16

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.68 BGN 6.41

-36.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.11 BGN 8.89

154.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.14 BGN 1.99

107.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.73 BGN 3.01

91.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.85 BGN 1.48

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$20.79 BGN 36.18

218.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.59 BGN 2.76

-19.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.94 BGN 1.63

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$16.87 BGN 29.36

-34.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.65 BGN 2.87

-10.30%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

62.20%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$23.8K BGN 41.4K

76.26%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$93.2 BGN 162

-0.53%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$14.55 BGN 25.32

-23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$12.29 BGN 21.39

29.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$32.99 BGN 57.4

126.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$21.44 BGN 37.31

7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$9.04 BGN 15.73

-10.95%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$226 BGN 392

320.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$2,291 BGN 3,987

1511.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$30.91 BGN 53.8

74.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$19.40 BGN 33.76

113.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$64.8 BGN 113

55.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$50.5 BGN 87.9

80.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$318 BGN 553

218.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$280 BGN 487

123.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$497 BGN 865

303.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$402 BGN 700

180.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,524 BGN 2,651

96.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,109 BGN 1,929

56.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,060 BGN 1,845

7.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.99

1251.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Stara Zagora

$280 30.8% 55.2% $345

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Stara Zagora

$192 21.1% 25.6% $66

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Stara Zagora

$160 17.7% 27.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2% 42.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Stara Zagora

$120 13.2% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6% 43.7% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Stara Zagora

$30 3.4% 59.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $318 in Stara Zagora. 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 7% 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 in Istanbul versus $52 in Stara Zagora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

149,266

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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 = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Stara Zagora 320 km

From you

Istanbul
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,363 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $226 in Stara Zagora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stara Zagora – 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 Stara Zagora. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.