Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tutrakan

For one person, living is cheaper in Tutrakan: $946 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Tutrakan, Bulgaria
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Tutrakan
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tutrakan

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $946 in Tutrakan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Tutrakan $946

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,463 in Tutrakan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Tutrakan $1,463

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,981 in Tutrakan, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Tutrakan $1,981

Istanbul costs about 61% more than Tutrakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Tutrakan is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$9.52 BGN 16.57
24.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$38.85 BGN 67.6
41.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$9.38 BGN 16.33
-1.28%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$2.03 BGN 3.53
111.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$1.50 BGN 2.61
18.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.94 BGN 1.63
-40.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$1.94 BGN 3.38
141.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$2.91 BGN 5.06
144.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$1.77 BGN 3.09
-29.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.91 BGN 1.58
-3.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$2.02 BGN 3.51
8.91%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$3.11 BGN 5.40
-21.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$9.11 BGN 15.85
15.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$7.42 BGN 12.91
-28.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$10.00 BGN 17.40
111.00%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.60 BGN 2.79
16.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$1.82 BGN 3.16
26.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$1.80 BGN 3.13
-32.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$2.24 BGN 3.89
-19.64%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$1.08 BGN 1.88
-36.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$1.08 BGN 1.87
-40.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$1.01 BGN 1.75
34.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.67 BGN 1.16
-13.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$3.49 BGN 6.07
-32.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$6.34 BGN 11.04
105.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.04 BGN 1.81
126.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$1.72 BGN 2.99
93.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.89 BGN 1.55
-1.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
$25.55 BGN 44.45
158.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$1.28 BGN 2.22
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.67 BGN 1.17
26.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$11.48 BGN 19.98
-3.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$1.58 BGN 2.76
-6.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$29.5K BGN 51.4K
64.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$24.1K BGN 42.0K
73.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$102 BGN 177
-8.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$16.92 BGN 29.44
-33.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$12.02 BGN 20.92
32.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$31.33 BGN 54.5
138.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$17.05 BGN 29.66
34.60%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$7.02 BGN 12.22
14.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$506 BGN 881
87.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$5,762 BGN 10.0K
540.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$48.55 BGN 84.5
10.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$28.58 BGN 49.73
45.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$77.8 BGN 135
29.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$77.8 BGN 135
17.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$327 BGN 569
209.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$259 BGN 451
140.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$539 BGN 938
271.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$409 BGN 711
175.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$1,329 BGN 2,312
124.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$1,105 BGN 1,922
56.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Tutrakan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
2.99
1251.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tutrakan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Tutrakan
$259 58.5% $365
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Tutrakan
$218 15.7% $41
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Tutrakan
$154 30.3% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Tutrakan
$105 19.1% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Tutrakan
$131 9.1% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Tutrakan
$45 50% $45
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Tutrakan
$34 55.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $327 in Tutrakan. 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 $39 in Tutrakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $218 – making Tutrakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇧🇬 Tutrakan
🕒 Local time
23:16 11:16 PM
22:16 10:16 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
8,000
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.94 BGN (1 BGN = 0.514 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Tutrakan 390 km
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Tutrakan

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 Tutrakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tutrakan cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,418 in Tutrakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tutrakan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $327 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $506 in Tutrakan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Tutrakan?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is Istanbul or Tutrakan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tutrakan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Tutrakan?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Tutrakan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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