Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Trongsa

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Trongsa

🇧🇹 Bhutan

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺607

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,700

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺217

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

$1.68 ₺82.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.8

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺43.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺514

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,033

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.8

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.7

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.07

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺61.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺662

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.7

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,374

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

$11.59 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,809

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,122

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,663

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,015

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,881

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,768

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺97.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺154.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Trongsa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Trongsa

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Trongsa

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Trongsa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Trongsa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Trongsa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Trongsa

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Trongsa

–

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇹 Trongsa

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

3 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,800

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 BTN = 10.43 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 49.36 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 95.91 BTN (100 BTN = 1.04 USD). 1 EUR = 107 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.31 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Istanbul Trongsa 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Trongsa

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 Trongsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Trongsa – 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 Trongsa. 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.