Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tamási

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamási: $1,141 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Tamási
Learn more

Tamási Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tamási

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tamási

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,141 in Tamási, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tamási $1,141

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,778 in Tamási, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tamási $1,778

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,415 in Tamási, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tamási $2,415

Istanbul costs about 36% more than Tamási, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$9.29 Ft 3,012

32.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$57.7 Ft 18.7K

-5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.42 Ft 3,054

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.38 Ft 770

84.87%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.52 Ft 494

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.31 Ft 425

-54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.26 Ft 731

107.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$2.26 Ft 734

161.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.04 Ft 339

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.36 Ft 441

-34.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.20 Ft 388

82.50%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.14 Ft 693

9.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.11 Ft 3,277

3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.85 Ft 1,897

-3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.19 Ft 3,952

71.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.50 Ft 486

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.56 Ft 505

48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$1.80 Ft 584

-28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.94 Ft 953

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$1.01 Ft 329

-35.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.10 Ft 357

-41.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.50 Ft 486

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$0.50 Ft 163

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.59 Ft 2,135

-64.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.02 Ft 1,303

233.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.15 Ft 373

108.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.49 Ft 484

133.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.21 Ft 391

-26.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

$26.82 Ft 8,692

151.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$2.99 Ft 969

-56.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.71 Ft 554

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$18.52 Ft 6,002

-40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.90 Ft 614

-22.63%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.0K Ft 9.7M

69.34%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$38.4K Ft 12.5M

15.86%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$121 Ft 39.2K

-26.81%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.64 Ft 7,014

-46.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$16.31 Ft 5,286

-3.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

$46.93 Ft 15.2K

64.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.64 Ft 5,718

28.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.74 Ft 2,507

5.17%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$248 Ft 80.4K

306.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,681 Ft 2.2M

282.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$87.8 Ft 28.5K

-38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.15 Ft 10.7K

23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,896

$72.4 Ft 23.5K

36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$59.7 Ft 19.3K

61.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$524 Ft 170.0K

87.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$398 Ft 128.9K

63.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$745 Ft 241.4K

166.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$658 Ft 213.4K

79.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,812 Ft 911.4K

11.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,822 Ft 914.7K

-36.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,210 Ft 392.0K

-0.34%

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 Tamási: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tamási

$398 34.9% 38.8% $252

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tamási

$206 18.1% 20.5% $53

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tamási

$158 13.9% 29.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tamási

$114 10% 12.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tamási

$159 13.9% 37.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tamási

$62 5.5% 33.2% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tamási

$43 3.8% 43.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $524 in Tamási. 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 0% higher in Tamási, 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 $58.0 in Tamási. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $206 in Tamási – so Tamási wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇺 Tamási

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

8,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.09 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.53 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tamási 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tamási

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 Tamási: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 36%, 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 $1,711 in Tamási. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 26% 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 Tamási, where all-in costs run around $1,141, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tamási it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tamási – 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 Tamási. 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.