Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $768 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
Learn more

Veles Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Veles

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $768 in Veles, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Veles $768

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,139 in Veles, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Veles $1,139

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,510 in Veles, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Veles $1,510

Istanbul costs about 102% more than Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Veles is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$8.65 MKD 472

42.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$18.00 MKD 982

203.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.43 MKD 296

69.80%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.50 MKD 82.0

193.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.32 MKD 72.0

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.80 MKD 43.42

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.48 MKD 80.7

217.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.03 MKD 165

95.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.06 MKD 57.9

14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.51 MKD 27.74

74.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.45 MKD 79.2

51.03%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.48 MKD 135

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$2.96 MKD 162

252.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.07 MKD 222

38.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$15.11 MKD 824

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.41 MKD 77.0

34.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.43 MKD 77.9

61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.38 MKD 75.2

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.88 MKD 103

-4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.85 MKD 46.16

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.83 MKD 45.33

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.59 MKD 31.96

111.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.59 MKD 32.06

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.33 MKD 182

-28.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.44 MKD 351

108.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.06 MKD 57.8

126.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.49 MKD 81.0

133.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.79 MKD 43.05

12.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$23.23 MKD 1,267

190.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$1.11 MKD 60.3

16.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.61 MKD 33.44

50.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.43 MKD 405

47.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.46 MKD 79.8

0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

89.51%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

79.10%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$108 MKD 5,901

-18.09%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$17.34 MKD 946

-33.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.02 MKD 655

31.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$25.47 MKD 1,389

202.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.82 MKD 972

27.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.38 MKD 184

140.83%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$221 MKD 12.1K

355.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

347.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$21.99 MKD 1,199

145.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$18.42 MKD 1,005

121.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$72.2 MKD 3,940

36.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$110 MKD 5,987

-11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$218 MKD 11.9K

352.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$170 MKD 9,300

281.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$290 MKD 15.8K

584.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$236 MKD 12.9K

399.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

167.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$933 MKD 50.9K

90.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$594 MKD 32.4K

102.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.23

867.38%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Veles

$170 22.2% 73.8% $479

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Veles

$171 22.3% 34% $88

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Veles

$125 16.4% 43.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Veles

$100 13% 23.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Veles

$138 17.9% 18.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Veles

$32 4.2% 65.5% $61

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Veles

$31 4% 60.3% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $218 in Veles. 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 103% 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 $18.00 in Veles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $171 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

43,716

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Veles 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Veles

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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 102%, 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 $1,151 in Veles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Veles, 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 $221 in Veles. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% 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 Veles, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Veles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Veles – 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 Veles. 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.