Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szeged

For one person, living is cheaper in Szeged: $1,227 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Szeged
Learn more

Szeged Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Szeged

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szeged

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,227 in Szeged, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Szeged $1,227

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,912 in Szeged, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Szeged $1,912

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,596 in Szeged, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Szeged $2,596

Istanbul costs about 26% more than Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Szeged is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.98 Ft 2,902

36.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$57.4 Ft 18.5K

-4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.34 Ft 3,018

-1.28%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.41 Ft 777

82.57%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.56 Ft 504

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.33 Ft 429

-55.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.33 Ft 754

101.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.22 Ft 717

166.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.22 Ft 393

-0.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.37 Ft 441

-35.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.42 Ft 781

-9.50%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.56 Ft 1,150

-33.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.46 Ft 3,378

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.41 Ft 2,070

-11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.40 Ft 5,298

27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.28 Ft 737

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.21 Ft 716

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.05 Ft 662

-37.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.35 Ft 1,082

-46.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.98 Ft 317

-33.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.04 Ft 336

-38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.66 Ft 537

-24.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.52 Ft 167

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$8.04 Ft 2,599

-70.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.45 Ft 1,760

146.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.26 Ft 407

90.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.99 Ft 643

74.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.63 Ft 527

-45.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$29.42 Ft 9,505

129.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.02 Ft 975

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.65 Ft 533

-44.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$18.15 Ft 5,864

-39.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.90 Ft 615

-22.63%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.5K Ft 9.5M

72.22%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$37.9K Ft 12.2M

17.57%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$127 Ft 40.9K

-30.09%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.61 Ft 6,981

-46.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.17 Ft 6,515

-21.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$46.93 Ft 15.2K

64.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$29.12 Ft 9,409

-21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$8.59 Ft 2,775

-5.24%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$248 Ft 80.2K

306.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,658 Ft 2.2M

283.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$114 Ft 36.9K

-52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.26 Ft 10.4K

26.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$94.2 Ft 30.4K

4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$114 Ft 36.7K

-14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$523 Ft 168.9K

88.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$380 Ft 122.9K

70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$761 Ft 245.8K

160.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$603 Ft 194.7K

95.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,103 Ft 1.0M

1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,320 Ft 749.4K

-23.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,234 Ft 398.7K

-2.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.67

513.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Szeged

$380 31% 41.5% $270

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Szeged

$251 20.5% 3.3% $8.7

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Szeged

$156 12.8% 29.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Szeged

$159 13% 22% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Szeged

$169 13.7% 45.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Szeged

$64 5.2% 31.4% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Szeged

$47 3.9% 38.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $523 in Szeged. 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 2% higher in Szeged, 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 $57.0 in Szeged. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $251 in Szeged – so Szeged wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Szeged

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

157,930

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Szeged 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szeged

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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,840 in Szeged. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $248 in Szeged. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 Szeged, where all-in costs run around $1,227, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szeged it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szeged – 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 Szeged. 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.