Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $1,004 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
Learn more

Targu Frumos Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Targu Frumos

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,004 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Targu Frumos $1,004

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,545 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Targu Frumos $1,545

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,086 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Targu Frumos $2,086

Istanbul costs about 51% more than Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Targu Frumos is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$10.57 RON 50.2

11.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$42.50 RON 202

29.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$7.54 RON 35.85

22.81%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.52 RON 11.97

70.63%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$2.03 RON 9.65

-12.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.83 RON 8.69

-69.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.11 RON 10.03

122.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.09 RON 14.68

130.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.23 RON 5.86

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$0.65 RON 3.10

35.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.78 RON 8.45

23.60%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.51 RON 16.68

-30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.75 RON 36.81

35.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$5.70 RON 27.09

-6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$8.50 RON 40.40

148.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.32 RON 6.27

40.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.60 RON 7.58

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.50 RON 7.13

-18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.73 RON 8.21

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.91 RON 4.31

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.00 RON 4.77

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.81 RON 3.83

67.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 RON 3.39

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.61 RON 26.65

-58.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$5.12 RON 24.32

154.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.94 RON 4.45

151.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.22 RON 5.81

172.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.71 RON 3.39

23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$22.76 RON 108

190.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.68 RON 3.22

88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.81 RON 3.86

4.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$7.63 RON 36.24

45.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.91 RON 9.06

-22.51%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$28.7K RON 136.2K

69.69%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.2K RON 119.9K

66.39%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$148 RON 703

-37.37%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$7.49 RON 35.60

49.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$7.66 RON 36.39

107.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$33.86 RON 161

120.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$21.83 RON 104

5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.40 RON 30.40

25.78%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$599 RON 2,848

58.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$6,453 RON 30.7K

472.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$97.6 RON 464

-44.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$32.43 RON 154

27.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$60.9 RON 289

65.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$85.0 RON 404

7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$328 RON 1,558

209.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$288 RON 1,368

116.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$613 RON 2,914

226.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$480 RON 2,279

134.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,770 RON 8,411

68.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,516 RON 7,205

14.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.2

461.39%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Targu Frumos

$288 28.7% 53.9% $337

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Targu Frumos

$182 18.1% 29.5% $76

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Targu Frumos

$170 16.9% 23.2% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Targu Frumos

$124 12.4% 4.1% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Targu Frumos

$163 16.3% 36.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Targu Frumos

$47 4.7% 48.6% $44

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Targu Frumos

$30 3% 59.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $328 in Targu Frumos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $42 in Targu Frumos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $182 – making Targu Frumos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

13,875

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Targu Frumos 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Targu Frumos

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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,506 in Targu Frumos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Frumos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $599 in Targu Frumos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Targu Frumos, where all-in costs run around $1,004, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Targu Frumos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Frumos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Targu Frumos is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.