Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Szombathely

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,231 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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 Szombathely
Learn more

Szombathely Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Szombathely

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,231 in Szombathely, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Szombathely $1,231

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,949 in Szombathely, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Szombathely $1,949

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,666 in Szombathely, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Szombathely $2,666

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.55 Ft 3,724

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$53.4 Ft 17.2K

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$8.89 Ft 2,866

3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.37 Ft 763

85.65%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.35 Ft 434

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$1.28 Ft 413

-53.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.72 Ft 555

173.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.32 Ft 749

154.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.21 Ft 389

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$1.57 Ft 508

-43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.37 Ft 763

-7.59%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.14 Ft 1,014

-25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.39 Ft 3,349

0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.55 Ft 2,111

-13.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.99 Ft 5,153

30.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.22 Ft 716

-14.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.04 Ft 658

13.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$2.52 Ft 813

-49.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.38 Ft 1,089

-46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.08 Ft 349

-39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.39 Ft 450

-53.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.88 Ft 605

-33.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.54 Ft 175

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$8.82 Ft 2,842

-73.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.54 Ft 1,462

195.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.21 Ft 390

98.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.62 Ft 846

32.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

$0.88 Ft 284

1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$27.09 Ft 8,734

148.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.68 Ft 865

-51.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$1.37 Ft 441

-32.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$23.64 Ft 7,620

-53.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$1.85 Ft 596

-20.54%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$28.8K Ft 9.3M

76.27%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

33.36%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$168 Ft 54.3K

-47.39%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$20.42 Ft 6,584

-43.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.92 Ft 6,744

-24.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$46.96 Ft 15.1K

64.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.68 Ft 6,666

9.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.65 Ft 1,500

75.05%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$423 Ft 136.2K

138.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,637 Ft 2.5M

234.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$103 Ft 33.0K

-47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$50.4 Ft 16.3K

-19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$96.9 Ft 31.2K

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$111 Ft 35.8K

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

$538 Ft 173.3K

83.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$339 Ft 109.3K

91.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$754 Ft 243.1K

163.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$645 Ft 208.0K

82.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,402 Ft 774.2K

30.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,980 Ft 638.3K

-10.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,175 Ft 378.9K

2.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

7.5

445.60%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Szombathely

$339 27.5% 47.8% $311

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Szombathely

$252 20.5% 2.8% $7.2

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Szombathely

$171 13.9% 23.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Szombathely

$162 13.2% 24.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Szombathely

$210 17% 80.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Szombathely

$56 4.6% 39.8% $37

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Szombathely

$40 3.3% 47.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $538 in Szombathely. 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 3% 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 $53.0 in Szombathely. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $252 – making Szombathely the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

77,757

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Szombathely 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Szombathely

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 Szombathely: 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 $1,847 in Szombathely. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szombathely, 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 $423 in Szombathely. 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 Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szombathely – 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 Szombathely. 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.