Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szekszard

For one person, living is cheaper in Szekszard: $1,184 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Szekszard
Learn more

Szekszard Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Szekszard

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szekszard

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,184 in Szekszard, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Szekszard $1,184

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,818 in Szekszard, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Szekszard $1,818

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,452 in Szekszard, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Szekszard $2,452

Istanbul costs about 31% more than Szekszard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Szekszard is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.34 Ft 3,986

-0.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$46.10 Ft 14.9K

18.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.09 Ft 2,938

1.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.51 Ft 489

191.39%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.92 Ft 620

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.15 Ft 371

-48.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.02 Ft 976

55.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.75 Ft 889

114.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.13 Ft 366

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.39 Ft 448

-35.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.36 Ft 761

-7.20%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.14 Ft 1,014

-25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.96 Ft 3,542

-4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.42 Ft 2,075

-11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.68 Ft 4,420

53.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.65 Ft 534

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.97 Ft 636

17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.94 Ft 628

-34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.68 Ft 866

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.05 Ft 338

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.30 Ft 419

-50.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.68 Ft 544

-25.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.47 Ft 153

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.74 Ft 2,502

-69.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.02 Ft 1,944

122.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.13 Ft 366

112.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.51 Ft 489

130.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.21 Ft 390

-26.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$26.94 Ft 8,703

150.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.15 Ft 1,018

-59.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.50 Ft 485

-38.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$18.22 Ft 5,886

-39.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.83 Ft 590

-19.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.7K Ft 10.6M

55.47%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.5K Ft 10.8M

33.04%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$120 Ft 38.9K

-26.37%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.05 Ft 5,833

-35.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$23.16 Ft 7,482

-31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$47.14 Ft 15.2K

63.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$18.37 Ft 5,935

23.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.49 Ft 2,419

8.68%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$252 Ft 81.5K

299.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$8,566 Ft 2.8M

198.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$61.8 Ft 20.0K

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$24.55 Ft 7,932

66.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$91.5 Ft 29.6K

8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$76.4 Ft 24.7K

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$524 Ft 169.3K

87.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$393 Ft 126.9K

65.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$752 Ft 243.1K

163.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$650 Ft 209.9K

81.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,584 Ft 511.7K

98.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,204 Ft 388.9K

47.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$919 Ft 296.8K

31.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.25

396.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Szekszard

$393 33.2% 39.6% $257

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Szekszard

$233 19.7% 10.1% $26

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Szekszard

$177 15% 20.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Szekszard

$114 9.7% 12.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Szekszard

$162 13.7% 39.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Szekszard

$62 5.3% 33.5% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Szekszard

$42 3.6% 44.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $524 in Szekszard. 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 31% 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 $46.00 in Szekszard. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $233 – making Szekszard the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Szekszard

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

29,707

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Szekszard 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szekszard

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 Szekszard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 31%, 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 $1,775 in Szekszard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szekszard, 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 $252 in Szekszard. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 Szekszard, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szekszard it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szekszard – 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 Szekszard. 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.