Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Strumica

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $855 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
Learn more

Strumica Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Strumica

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $855 in Strumica, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Strumica $855

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,214 in Strumica, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Strumica $1,214

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,573 in Strumica, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Strumica $1,573

Istanbul costs about 81% more than Strumica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Strumica is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.65 MKD 199

236.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$22.76 MKD 1,242

140.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$3.67 MKD 200

151.23%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.56 MKD 85.2

182.05%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.32 MKD 72.1

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.20 MKD 65.5

-50.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.84 MKD 101

155.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.06 MKD 112

186.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.27 MKD 69.5

-4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.80 MKD 43.71

11.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.68 MKD 91.7

30.36%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.22 MKD 121

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.85 MKD 428

32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.06 MKD 331

-6.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.11 MKD 551

107.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$0.62 MKD 33.64

206.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.40 MKD 76.2

65.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.16 MKD 63.4

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.90 MKD 103

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.83 MKD 45.36

-21.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.83 MKD 45.02

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.60 MKD 32.66

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.56 MKD 30.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.74 MKD 150

-13.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.29 MKD 289

153.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.94 MKD 51.1

155.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.19 MKD 65.1

192.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.76 MKD 41.61

17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.06 MKD 57.7

21.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.62 MKD 33.62

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.69 MKD 420

42.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.62 MKD 88.2

-9.26%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.0K MKD 1.9M

45.09%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$27.0K MKD 1.5M

64.89%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$150 MKD 8,164

-40.80%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$12.60 MKD 687

-8.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$18.22 MKD 994

-13.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$20.21 MKD 1,102

281.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.38 MKD 403

10.30%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$361 MKD 19.7K

179.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,568 MKD 303.7K

359.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$84.2 MKD 4,590

-35.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.11 MKD 2,025

10.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$99.8 MKD 5,444

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$89.6 MKD 4,889

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$307 MKD 16.7K

220.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$233 MKD 12.7K

178.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$495 MKD 27.0K

300.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$294 MKD 16.1K

300.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,478 MKD 80.6K

112.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$969 MKD 52.9K

83.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$641 MKD 35.0K

88.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

923.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Strumica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Strumica

$233 27.3% 64.1% $417

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Strumica

$177 20.7% 31.8% $83

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Strumica

$82 9.6% 63.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Strumica

$140 16.4% 7% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Strumica

$180 21.1% 55.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Strumica

$35 4.1% 62.6% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Strumica

$7.2 * 0.8% 90.6% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $307 in Strumica. 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 88% 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 $23.00 in Strumica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $177 – making Strumica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Strumica

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

36,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Strumica 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Strumica

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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 81%, 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 $1,282 in Strumica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Strumica, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $23.00 in Strumica. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 Strumica, where all-in costs run around $855, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Strumica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Strumica – 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 Strumica. 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.