Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Travnik

For one person, living is cheaper in Travnik: $862 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Travnik
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Travnik Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Travnik

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Travnik

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $862 in Travnik, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Travnik $862

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,297 in Travnik, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Travnik $1,297

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,732 in Travnik, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Travnik $1,732

Istanbul costs about 80% more than Travnik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Travnik is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.26 BAM 9.15

133.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.01 BAM 53.9

76.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.78 BAM 10.04

59.52%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.84 BAM 3.19

139.13%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.89 BAM 3.28

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.19 BAM 2.07

-50.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.64 BAM 4.58

78.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.12 BAM 3.68

178.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.17 BAM 2.03

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.94 BAM 1.63

-5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.00 BAM 3.47

9.50%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.63 BAM 4.57

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.88 BAM 13.70

32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.23 BAM 12.57

-21.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.60 BAM 18.42

97.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.08 BAM 1.88

75.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.61 BAM 2.79

43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.34 BAM 2.33

-4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.16 BAM 2.01

55.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.02 BAM 1.78

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.72 BAM 1.26

73.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.67 BAM 1.17

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.88 BAM 6.74

-38.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.05 BAM 7.05

231.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.78 BAM 1.35

207.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$0.95 BAM 1.65

266.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.27 BAM 2.21

-29.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.69 BAM 2.93

-23.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.59 BAM 1.02

55.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$5.79 BAM 10.06

89.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.54 BAM 2.68

-4.55%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.0K BAM 52.2K

69.03%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.7K BAM 37.7K

105.24%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$136 BAM 236

-34.72%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.86 BAM 31.05

-35.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$26.57 BAM 46.19

-40.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$30.26 BAM 52.6

154.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.68 BAM 9.87

43.31%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$199 BAM 346

406.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$2,269 BAM 3,946

1026.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$59.4 BAM 103

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.14 BAM 57.6

23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$86.5 BAM 150

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$81.2 BAM 141

18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$336 BAM 584

192.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$215 BAM 375

201.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$440 BAM 766

350.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$354 BAM 615

233.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,596 BAM 4,514

20.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,575 BAM 2,738

13.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.33

845.03%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Travnik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Travnik

$215 25% 66.9% $434

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Travnik

$187 21.7% 27.9% $72

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Travnik

$111 12.9% 50.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Travnik

$117 13.6% 10.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Travnik

$180 20.9% 55.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Travnik

$42 4.8% 55.5% $52

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Travnik

$9.7 * 1.1% 87.4% $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 $336 in Travnik. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $31.00 in Travnik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $187 – making Travnik the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Travnik

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

15,344

💱 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Travnik 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Travnik

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 Travnik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 80%, 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 $1,293 in Travnik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Travnik, 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 $31.00 in Travnik. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Travnik, where all-in costs run around $862, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Travnik it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Travnik – 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 Travnik. 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.