Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Vulcanesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Vulcanesti: $764 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Vulcanesti
Learn more

Vulcanesti Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Vulcanesti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Vulcanesti

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $764 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Vulcanesti $764

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,124 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Vulcanesti $1,124

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,484 in Vulcanesti, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Vulcanesti $1,484

Istanbul costs about 99% more than Vulcanesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Vulcanesti is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$6.88 MDL 121

71.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$29.72 MDL 525

84.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$10.55 MDL 186

-12.23%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$1.10 MDL 19.40

290.91%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$0.77 MDL 13.53

129.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$0.38 MDL 6.65

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$1.08 MDL 19.05

334.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$1.42 MDL 25.14

401.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$0.91 MDL 16.07

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.48 MDL 8.50

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.70 MDL 30.05

29.41%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.15 MDL 37.90

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$6.77 MDL 120

54.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$4.53 MDL 80.1

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$8.16 MDL 144

158.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.24 MDL 21.92

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.63 MDL 28.86

41.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.76 MDL 31.00

-30.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$1.73 MDL 30.51

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$0.69 MDL 12.25

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.32 MDL 5.62

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$2.19 MDL 38.63

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.41 MDL 7.21

41.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.39 MDL 59.8

-30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$2.36 MDL 41.69

452.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$0.87 MDL 15.35

171.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.21 MDL 21.29

174.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.31 MDL 5.56

183.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.08 MDL 19.03

18.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.17 MDL 2.99

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$3.40 MDL 60.0

226.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.29 MDL 22.73

14.73%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$23.4K MDL 412.5K

108.25%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$20.6K MDL 362.9K

104.25%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$105 MDL 1,853

-11.66%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$4.97 MDL 87.8

125.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$5.52 MDL 97.5

187.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$17.03 MDL 301

338.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$7.64 MDL 135

5.37%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$110 MDL 1,935

765.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$5,175 MDL 91.4K

613.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$30.74 MDL 543

75.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$24.81 MDL 438

67.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$83.3 MDL 1,472

21.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$140 MDL 2,469

-34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$284 MDL 5,016

256.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$219 MDL 3,869

185.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$273 MDL 4,826

312.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$846 MDL 14.9K

253.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$855 MDL 15.1K

102.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$726 MDL 12.8K

56.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.5

438.93%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vulcanesti: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Vulcanesti

$219 28.7% 64.9% $405

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Vulcanesti

$156 20.5% 39.5% $102

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Vulcanesti

$113 14.7% 49% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Vulcanesti

$125 16.4% 3.1% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Vulcanesti

$115 15.1% 3.6% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Vulcanesti

$32 4.2% 64.4% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Vulcanesti

$3.2 * 0.4% 95.8% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $284 in Vulcanesti. 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 57% 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 in Istanbul versus $30 in Vulcanesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $156 – making Vulcanesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇩 Vulcanesti

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

19:27 7:27 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

22,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.23 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 17.66 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.84 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Vulcanesti 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Vulcanesti

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 Vulcanesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,147 in Vulcanesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vulcanesti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $30 in Vulcanesti. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Vulcanesti, where all-in costs run around $764, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Vulcanesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Vulcanesti. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.