Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szczecin

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,331 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
Learn more

Szczecin Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szczecin

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,331 in Szczecin, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Szczecin $1,331

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,974 in Szczecin, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Szczecin $1,974

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,618 in Szczecin, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Szczecin $2,618

Istanbul costs about 15% more than Szczecin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Szczecin is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$8.71 zł 34.04

36.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$45.79 zł 179

20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$8.32 zł 32.50

9.86%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.93 zł 11.44

44.71%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.80 zł 7.05

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.41 zł 5.52

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.98 zł 11.64

57.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.09 zł 12.09

93.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.92 zł 3.61

36.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.25 zł 4.90

-24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.06 zł 4.16

117.92%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.24 zł 12.68

-23.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$9.39 zł 36.70

12.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$6.25 zł 24.43

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$13.00 zł 50.8

63.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.96 zł 3.77

101.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.64 zł 6.39

39.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.58 zł 6.19

-18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$2.34 zł 9.14

-21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.85 zł 3.32

-21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.07 zł 4.20

-44.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.12 zł 4.36

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.59 zł 2.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$5.28 zł 20.64

-55.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.49 zł 25.38

107.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.07 zł 4.17

126.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.46 zł 5.70

142.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.74 zł 2.90

12.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$25.11 zł 98.2

164.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.97 zł 7.69

-31.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.94 zł 3.67

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$12.96 zł 50.7

-16.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.65 zł 6.44

-10.91%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$30.2K zł 118.0K

70.94%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$28.4K zł 111.2K

56.25%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$243 zł 949

-63.24%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$12.39 zł 48.42

-6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$18.74 zł 73.3

-14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$30.15 zł 118

156.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$49.87 zł 195

-54.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.42 zł 25.09

29.91%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$329 zł 1,287

195.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$7,675 zł 30.0K

235.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$69.8 zł 273

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$35.71 zł 140

9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$80.3 zł 314

28.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$89.6 zł 350

7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$616 zł 2,407

61.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$485 zł 1,894

29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,153 zł 4,506

75.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$815 zł 3,184

41.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$3,349 zł 13.1K

-5.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,339 zł 9,142

-21.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$1,622 zł 6,339

-25.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

6.82

502.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Szczecin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Szczecin

$485 36.4% 23% $145

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Szczecin

$208 15.6% 21.4% $56

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Szczecin

$164 12.3% 24.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Szczecin

$124 9.3% 5.6% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Szczecin

$274 20.6% 134% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Szczecin

$43 3.2% 54.2% $51

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Szczecin

$35 2.6% 53.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $616 in Szczecin. 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 35% higher in Szczecin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $46.00 in Szczecin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $208 – making Szczecin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

12:38 12:38 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

387,700

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Szczecin 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szczecin

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 Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,996 in Szczecin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $329 in Szczecin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Szczecin, where all-in costs run around $1,331, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Szczecin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szczecin – 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 Szczecin. 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.