Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Trebinje

For one person, living is cheaper in Trebinje: $850 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Trebinje
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Trebinje Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Trebinje

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Trebinje

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $850 in Trebinje, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Trebinje $850

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,342 in Trebinje, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Trebinje $1,342

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,834 in Trebinje, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Trebinje $1,834

Istanbul costs about 82% more than Trebinje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Trebinje is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.88 BAM 15.44

38.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.27 BAM 54.4

74.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.81 BAM 18.80

-14.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.19 BAM 2.06

269.75%

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

$1.36 BAM 2.37

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.32 BAM 4.04

102.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.33 BAM 4.04

153.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.18 BAM 2.05

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.03 BAM 1.80

-13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.55 BAM 2.70

41.29%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.34 BAM 4.08

0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.62 BAM 16.73

8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.80 BAM 11.83

-16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.25 BAM 19.57

86.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.27 BAM 2.21

49.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.64 BAM 2.86

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.28 BAM 2.22

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.75 BAM 3.04

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.92 BAM 1.60

-29.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.24 BAM 2.15

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.94 BAM 1.63

32.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.60 BAM 1.04

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.61 BAM 6.28

-34.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$5.73 BAM 9.97

134.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.64 BAM 1.12

275.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.27 BAM 2.22

174.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.12 BAM 1.94

15.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.56 BAM 0.97

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$17.22 BAM 29.95

-36.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.50 BAM 2.61

-2.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$30.5K BAM 53.0K

66.63%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$21.0K BAM 36.5K

112.01%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$84.5 BAM 147

4.93%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$16.60 BAM 28.87

-30.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$27.04 BAM 47.01

-41.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$33.08 BAM 57.5

133.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$14.53 BAM 25.27

56.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.87 BAM 4.99

183.62%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$151 BAM 263

566.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,548 BAM 6,170

620.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$82.0 BAM 143

-34.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$36.23 BAM 63.0

12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$95.7 BAM 166

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$101 BAM 176

-4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$282 BAM 490

249.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$193 BAM 336

236.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$520 BAM 904

281.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$360 BAM 626

227.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,507 BAM 4,359

25.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$1,781 BAM 3,098

-0.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$861 BAM 1,497

40.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.44

821.62%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Trebinje: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Trebinje

$193 22.7% 70.3% $457

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Trebinje

$198 23.3% 23.8% $62

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Trebinje

$147 17.3% 34.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Trebinje

$142 16.7% 8.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Trebinje

$128 15.1% 10.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Trebinje

$39 4.6% 58.5% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Trebinje

$3.9 * 0.5% 94.9% $73

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 $282 in Trebinje. 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 40% 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 $31.00 in Trebinje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $198 – making Trebinje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇦 Trebinje

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

13:27 1:27 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

25,589

💱 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 Trebinje 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Trebinje

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 Trebinje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 82%, 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 $1,276 in Trebinje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Trebinje, where all-in costs run around $850, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Trebinje it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Trebinje – 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 Trebinje. 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.