Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Szolnok: $1,106 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Szolnok
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Szolnok Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Szolnok

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szolnok

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,106 in Szolnok, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Szolnok $1,106

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,692 in Szolnok, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Szolnok $1,692

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,278 in Szolnok, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Szolnok $2,278

Istanbul costs about 40% more than Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Szolnok is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.60 Ft 3,101

28.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$46.62 Ft 15.1K

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.00 Ft 2,585

15.25%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.30 Ft 741

91.30%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.01 Ft 648

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.19 Ft 386

-50.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.55 Ft 823

84.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.67 Ft 864

121.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.92 Ft 297

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.24 Ft 399

-28.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.62 Ft 523

35.19%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.08 Ft 994

-23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.29 Ft 2,356

42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.60 Ft 2,132

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$13.28 Ft 4,291

57.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.44 Ft 464

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.74 Ft 562

32.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.52 Ft 492

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.30 Ft 744

-21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.68 Ft 220

-4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.73 Ft 236

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.02 Ft 330

22.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.37 Ft 120

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.84 Ft 2,211

-65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$3.62 Ft 1,168

270.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.89 Ft 286

169.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.30 Ft 420

167.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.06 Ft 342

-16.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$26.01 Ft 8,402

159.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.82 Ft 912

-54.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.24 Ft 724

-58.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$14.84 Ft 4,794

-26.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.82 Ft 588

-19.23%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$27.5K Ft 8.9M

84.79%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.6K Ft 11.8M

21.56%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$128 Ft 41.3K

-30.75%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$29.81 Ft 9,631

-61.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$22.14 Ft 7,152

-28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.80 Ft 13.5K

84.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$18.06 Ft 5,835

25.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.37 Ft 1,088

141.54%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$151 Ft 48.8K

567.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,944 Ft 1.6M

417.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$81.0 Ft 26.2K

-33.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$50.2 Ft 16.2K

-18.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$88.6 Ft 28.6K

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$116 Ft 37.6K

-17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$397 Ft 128.1K

148.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$327 Ft 105.5K

98.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$625 Ft 201.9K

217.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$504 Ft 162.9K

134.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,013 Ft 650.4K

55.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,598 Ft 516.2K

11.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,059 Ft 342.1K

13.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

7.69

432.12%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Szolnok

$327 29.5% 49.7% $323

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Szolnok

$197 17.8% 24.3% $63

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Szolnok

$159 14.4% 28.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Szolnok

$151 13.7% 15.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Szolnok

$180 16.3% 55.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Szolnok

$49 4.4% 48.1% $45

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Szolnok

$44 4% 42.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $397 in Szolnok. 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 14% 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 $47.00 in Szolnok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $197 – making Szolnok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Szolnok

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

66,426

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Istanbul Szolnok 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szolnok

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 40%, 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 $1,660 in Szolnok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szolnok, 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 $151 in Szolnok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% 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 Szolnok, where all-in costs run around $1,106, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szolnok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szolnok – 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 Szolnok. 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.