Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Varna: $1,399 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Varna
Learn more

Varna Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Varna

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,399 in Varna, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Varna $1,399

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $2,196 in Varna, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Varna $2,196

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,994 in Varna, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Varna $2,994

Istanbul costs about 9% more than Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Varna sit above the global median – Istanbul by 12%, Varna by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$11.82 BGN 20.56

-0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$58.3 BGN 101

-5.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$10.34 BGN 17.98

-10.44%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.08 BGN 5.36

39.61%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.63 BGN 2.83

-65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$2.91 BGN 5.06

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$3.62 BGN 6.29

96.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.86 BGN 3.23

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.21 BGN 2.10

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$2.53 BGN 4.40

-13.04%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.65 BGN 6.36

-33.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$11.10 BGN 19.31

-5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$8.86 BGN 15.42

-40.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$15.08 BGN 26.24

39.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$2.03 BGN 3.53

-8.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$2.06 BGN 3.58

11.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$2.12 BGN 3.68

-42.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$2.89 BGN 5.03

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$1.23 BGN 2.14

-43.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-45.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$1.11 BGN 1.94

22.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.82 BGN 1.43

-29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.94 BGN 6.85

-40.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$8.17 BGN 14.21

59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.19 BGN 2.06

98.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.86 BGN 3.24

78.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.14 BGN 1.99

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$28.50 BGN 49.60

132.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$1.82 BGN 3.16

-29.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.91 BGN 1.58

-6.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$13.63 BGN 23.71

-18.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.69 BGN 2.95

-12.43%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$29.5K BGN 51.3K

64.83%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.2K BGN 42.1K

73.37%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$172 BGN 300

-46.14%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$20.87 BGN 36.32

-46.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$15.26 BGN 26.56

4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$51.4 BGN 89.5

45.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$19.70 BGN 34.28

16.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$9.74 BGN 16.95

-17.35%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$493 BGN 858

92.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$7,939 BGN 13.8K

365.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$65.7 BGN 114

-18.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$32.70 BGN 56.9

26.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$102 BGN 177

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$100 BGN 175

-9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$641 BGN 1,116

58.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$476 BGN 828

31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,326 BGN 2,308

51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$896 BGN 1,559

25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$2,993 BGN 5,208

-0.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$2,086 BGN 3,630

-17.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$1,240 BGN 2,157

-8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

2.83

1328.27%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Varna: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Varna

$476 34% 23.8% $148

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Varna

$270 19.3% 4.5% $12

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Varna

$199 14.2% 10.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Varna

$135 9.7% 4.6% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Varna

$208 14.9% 73.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Varna

$71 5.1% 21.9% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Varna

$39 2.8% 47.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $641 in Varna. 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 9% higher in Varna, 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 in Istanbul versus $58 in Varna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $270 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

348,058

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 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 = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Varna 260 km

From you

Istanbul
Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $2,098 in Varna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $641 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $493 in Varna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,399 in Varna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Varna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.