Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Varazdin

For one person, living is cheaper in Varazdin: $1,270 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Varazdin
Learn more

Varazdin Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Varazdin

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Varazdin

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,270 in Varazdin, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Varazdin $1,270

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,842 in Varazdin, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Varazdin $1,842

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,414 in Varazdin, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Varazdin $2,414

Istanbul costs about 22% more than Varazdin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Varazdin is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.43 €10.17

7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$61.8 €55.0

-11.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.15 €9.03

-9.16%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.26 €2.01

94.69%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.55 €2.27

-34.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.96 €1.75

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.94 €3.50

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.43 €3.05

72.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.18 €1.05

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.64 €1.45

-45.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.58 €2.29

-15.12%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.40 €3.02

-30.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.49 €4.88

89.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$8.31 €7.39

-32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.36 €12.77

45.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.67 €1.49

13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.70 €1.51

35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.77 €1.57

-27.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.38 €2.11

-24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.25 €1.11

-48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.14 €1.02

-43.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.10 €0.97

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.15 €1.02

-51.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.64 €5.01

-57.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.96 €7.08

68.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$0.76 €0.67

215.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.12 €1.89

64.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.38 €1.23

-35.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$44.38 €39.47

51.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.41 €3.03

-62.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.42 €1.26

-35.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$13.15 €11.70

-16.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.64 €1.46

-10.37%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.3K €23.4K

93.33%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$23.5K €20.9K

89.23%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$146 €130

-39.25%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$13.93 €12.39

-16.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$30.69 €27.30

-48.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$43.23 €38.46

78.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$12.78 €11.37

77.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.86 €6.10

18.66%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$154 €137

556.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$12.9K €11.5K

97.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$73.5 €65.4

-26.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.37 €29.68

22.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$61.4 €54.6

60.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$71.9 €64.0

34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$560 €498

75.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$422 €375

53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$876 €779

126.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$467 €416

152.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,127 €2,782

0.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,478 €2,204

-28.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$1,379 €1,227

-12.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.73

997.05%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Varazdin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Varazdin

$422 33.2% 35.1% $228

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Varazdin

$239 18.8% 8% $21

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Varazdin

$194 15.3% 13.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Varazdin

$108 8.5% 17.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Varazdin

$190 15% 64.2% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Varazdin

$57 4.5% 39.1% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Varazdin

$60 4.8% 21.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $560 in Varazdin. 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 14% higher in Varazdin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $62.0 in Varazdin. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $239 in Varazdin – so Varazdin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇭🇷 Varazdin

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

43,782

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Varazdin 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Varazdin

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 Varazdin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,905 in Varazdin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $154 in Varazdin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 Varazdin, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Varazdin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varazdin – 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 Varazdin. 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.