Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tesanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $880 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
Learn more

Tesanj Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tesanj

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $880 in Tesanj, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tesanj $880

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,288 in Tesanj, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tesanj $1,288

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,696 in Tesanj, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tesanj $1,696

Istanbul costs about 76% more than Tesanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tesanj is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.38 BAM 5.87

263.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$16.14 BAM 28.07

238.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$2.82 BAM 4.91

226.95%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.84 BAM 1.46

423.81%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.39 BAM 2.42

20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.83 BAM 1.44

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.97 BAM 3.42

138.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.70 BAM 2.95

247.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.83 BAM 1.44

45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.83 BAM 1.44

7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.47 BAM 4.30

-11.34%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.07 BAM 5.34

-23.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.03 BAM 17.44

3.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.09 BAM 12.33

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.12 BAM 24.56

48.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$0.99 BAM 1.72

91.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.60 BAM 2.79

44.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.22 BAM 2.12

4.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.76 BAM 3.06

2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.05 BAM 1.82

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.09 BAM 1.89

-41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.15 BAM 2.00

8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-42.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.79 BAM 6.59

-37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.67 BAM 15.07

54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.11 BAM 1.94

116.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.33 BAM 2.31

161.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.48 BAM 2.57

-39.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.16 BAM 2.02

11.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.59 BAM 1.03

55.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$10.46 BAM 18.18

4.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.58 BAM 2.75

-6.96%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

67.95%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$22.0K BAM 38.3K

102.13%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$93.1 BAM 162

-4.78%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$18.33 BAM 31.87

-36.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$28.91 BAM 50.3

-45.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$33.13 BAM 57.6

132.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$28.53 BAM 49.62

-20.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.79 BAM 4.86

191.76%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$135 BAM 235

644.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,835 BAM 6,668

566.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$58.2 BAM 101

-7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.70 BAM 56.9

24.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$95.7 BAM 166

3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$128 BAM 222

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$318 BAM 554

209.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$260 BAM 452

149.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$470 BAM 817

322.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$367 BAM 638

221.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,412 BAM 4,195

30.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,780 BAM 3,096

-0.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$685 BAM 1,191

76.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.3

851.63%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tesanj

$260 29.5% 60% $390

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tesanj

$222 25.2% 14.5% $38

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tesanj

$68 7.7% 69.7% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tesanj

$142 16.1% 8.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tesanj

$140 15.9% 20.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tesanj

$39 4.4% 58.6% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tesanj

$10 * 1.1% 87% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $318 in Tesanj. 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 76% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $222 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

06:11 6:11 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

5,500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tesanj 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tesanj

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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 76%, 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 $1,320 in Tesanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tesanj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $16.00 in Tesanj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tesanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tesanj – 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 Tesanj. 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.