Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sunny Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunny Beach: $1,032 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Sunny Beach
Learn more

Sunny Beach Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Sunny Beach

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sunny Beach

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,032 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Sunny Beach $1,032

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,558 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Sunny Beach $1,558

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,084 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Sunny Beach $2,084

Istanbul costs about 47% more than Sunny Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Sunny Beach is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.57 BGN 14.90

37.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$40.19 BGN 69.9

36.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$18.14 BGN 31.57

-48.95%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$1.77 BGN 3.08

142.94%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.33 BGN 2.31

33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-37.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.96 BGN 3.41

139.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$1.69 BGN 2.94

321.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.84 BGN 3.20

-32.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.79 BGN 1.37

11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-8.71%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.68 BGN 6.41

-33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.47 BGN 14.74

23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$8.18 BGN 14.23

-35.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$12.41 BGN 21.59

70.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.61 BGN 2.81

15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.05 BGN 3.56

12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.94 BGN 3.37

-37.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.69 BGN 4.68

-33.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.10 BGN 1.92

-37.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.14 BGN 1.99

-43.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.03 BGN 1.78

32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 BGN 1.24

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.99 BGN 6.95

-41.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$6.47 BGN 11.26

101.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.21 BGN 2.10

95.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.66 BGN 2.89

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.16 BGN 2.02

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-26.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$13.50 BGN 23.50

-17.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.60 BGN 2.78

-7.50%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.6K BGN 53.3K

58.79%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.5K BGN 42.6K

71.26%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$95.6 BGN 166

-3.03%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$18.74 BGN 32.61

-40.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$15.97 BGN 27.79

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.89 BGN 11.99

16.84%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$7,921 BGN 13.8K

366.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$33.43 BGN 58.2

61.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$30.16 BGN 52.5

37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$123 BGN 214

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$95.7 BGN 167

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$574 BGN 999

76.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$347 BGN 604

79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$696 BGN 1,211

188.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$519 BGN 903

116.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,338 BGN 2,328

123.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,127 BGN 1,962

53.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$913 BGN 1,589

24.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.74

1375.18%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Sunny Beach

$347 33.7% 44.4% $277

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Sunny Beach

$236 22.9% 8.5% $22

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Sunny Beach

$166 16.1% 24.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Sunny Beach

$127 12.3% 1.9% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sunny Beach

$130 12.6% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Sunny Beach

$14 * 1.3% 84.8% $77

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Sunny Beach

$11 * 1.1% 85.5% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $574 in Sunny Beach. 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 24% 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 $40 in Sunny Beach. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Sunny Beach the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Sunny Beach

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

19:35 7:35 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

13,347

💱 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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Istanbul Sunny Beach 210 km

From you

Istanbul
Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,548 in Sunny Beach. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunny Beach, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $574 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $40 in Sunny Beach. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,032 in Sunny Beach. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Sunny Beach has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,032 in Sunny Beach to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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