Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szentendre

For one person, living is cheaper in Szentendre: $1,455 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Szentendre
Learn more

Szentendre Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Szentendre

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szentendre

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,455 in Szentendre, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Szentendre $1,455

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,091 in Szentendre, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Szentendre $2,091

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,726 in Szentendre, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Szentendre $2,726

Istanbul costs about 7% more than Szentendre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Szentendre sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Szentendre by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.75 Ft 4,109

-3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$55.7 Ft 18.0K

-1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$9.05 Ft 2,916

1.88%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.67 Ft 860

64.79%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.90 Ft 612

-11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$1.15 Ft 369

-48.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.32 Ft 1,071

41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.87 Ft 925

105.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.14 Ft 369

6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$1.44 Ft 463

-38.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.33 Ft 752

-6.01%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.36 Ft 1,083

-30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.26 Ft 3,628

-7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.07 Ft 1,958

-6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.74 Ft 4,428

52.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.91 Ft 615

-0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.11 Ft 680

9.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.02 Ft 652

-36.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.80 Ft 1,226

-52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.01 Ft 324

-35.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$0.98 Ft 317

-34.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.55 Ft 501

-19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.53 Ft 170

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.84 Ft 2,526

-69.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.97 Ft 1,924

124.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.27 Ft 409

88.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.63 Ft 525

113.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$1.19 Ft 384

-25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$28.79 Ft 9,280

134.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.03 Ft 976

-57.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$1.39 Ft 448

-33.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$18.38 Ft 5,924

-40.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.91 Ft 617

-23.04%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$28.9K Ft 9.3M

75.70%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.7K Ft 10.9M

32.05%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$153 Ft 49.4K

-42.19%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$30.94 Ft 9,973

-62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$23.11 Ft 7,448

-31.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$45.59 Ft 14.7K

69.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$19.51 Ft 6,288

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.78 Ft 2,507

4.63%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$493 Ft 159.0K

104.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

56.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$89.6 Ft 28.9K

-39.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$27.81 Ft 8,965

46.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$99.0 Ft 31.9K

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$105 Ft 33.9K

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$613 Ft 197.6K

60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$560 Ft 180.6K

15.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$770 Ft 248.1K

157.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$690 Ft 222.5K

70.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,102 Ft 999.9K

1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$3,848 Ft 1.2M

-53.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,545 Ft 498.0K

-21.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.45

534.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szentendre: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Szentendre

$560 38.5% 13.8% $90

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Szentendre

$242 16.7% 6.7% $17

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Szentendre

$196 13.5% 12.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Szentendre

$145 9.9% 10.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Szentendre

$207 14.3% 78.7% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Szentendre

$61 4.2% 34.6% $32

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Szentendre

$44 3% 43.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $613 in Szentendre. 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 28% higher in Szentendre, 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 $56.0 in Szentendre. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $242 in Szentendre – so Szentendre wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Szentendre

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

28,444

💱 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 = 2.77 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Szentendre 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szentendre

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 Szentendre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,182 in Szentendre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szentendre, 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 $493 in Szentendre. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 Szentendre, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szentendre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szentendre – 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 Szentendre. 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.