Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Yambol

For one person, living is cheaper in Yambol: $962 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Yambol
Learn more

Yambol Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Yambol

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Yambol

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $962 in Yambol, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Yambol $962

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,501 in Yambol, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Yambol $1,501

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,041 in Yambol, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Yambol $2,041

Istanbul costs about 58% more than Yambol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Yambol is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺591

$9.70 BGN 16.87

21.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,748

$44.49 BGN 77.4

23.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺463

$9.75 BGN 16.96

-5.03%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺215

$2.15 BGN 3.74

100.00%

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

$1.77 ₺88.8

$1.79 BGN 3.11

-1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.26

$1.28 BGN 2.22

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺234

$1.68 BGN 2.92

179.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺356

$2.90 BGN 5.05

145.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.6

$1.81 BGN 3.15

-30.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$1.22 BGN 2.13

-27.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$2.18 BGN 3.79

0.92%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$3.34 BGN 5.81

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺524

$8.84 BGN 15.39

18.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺266

$7.25 BGN 12.62

-26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,056

$5.59 BGN 9.73

277.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.9

$1.51 BGN 2.63

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.82 BGN 3.17

26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-29.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.0

$1.60 BGN 2.78

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.75

$1.06 BGN 1.84

-34.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.09

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-26.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺67.8

$1.20 BGN 2.08

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.88

$0.74 BGN 1.29

-21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$3.97 BGN 6.90

-41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺652

$4.51 BGN 7.85

188.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.12 BGN 1.95

110.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.00 BGN 3.47

66.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺43.97

$0.91 BGN 1.59

-3.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,309

$28.39 BGN 49.40

132.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$1.54 BGN 2.68

-16.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.70

$0.83 BGN 1.44

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺555

$10.73 BGN 18.67

3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺73.9

$1.76 BGN 3.06

-15.91%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$30.6K BGN 53.2K

59.05%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$24.3K BGN 42.3K

72.52%

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

$92.7 ₺4,639

$110 BGN 192

-16.02%

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

$11.20 ₺560

$18.78 BGN 32.69

-40.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺795

$15.70 BGN 27.32

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,737

$27.60 BGN 48.03

170.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,149

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺403

$7.61 BGN 13.24

5.78%

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

$948 ₺47.5K

$599 BGN 1,042

58.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.8M

$11.2K BGN 19.4K

230.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,696

$51.6 BGN 89.8

4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,076

$21.16 BGN 36.82

96.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,049

$86.3 BGN 150

16.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,570

$59.1 BGN 103

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.7K

$354 BGN 615

186.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$277 BGN 481

125.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.4K

$540 BGN 940

271.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.3K

$483 BGN 840

133.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.5K

$1,318 BGN 2,293

126.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.6K

$1,168 BGN 2,031

48.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺56.9K

$947 BGN 1,648

19.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

3.1

1203.87%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Yambol: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Yambol

$277 28.8% 55.7% $348

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Yambol

$203 21.1% 21.6% $56

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Yambol

$159 16.5% 28% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Yambol

$98 10.2% 24.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Yambol

$145 15.1% 21% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Yambol

$43 4.5% 52.8% $48

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Yambol

$38 3.9% 49.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $354 in Yambol. 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 20% 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 $44 in Yambol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $203 – making Yambol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇬 Yambol

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

18:59 6:59 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

76,599

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.23 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Istanbul Yambol 260 km

From you

Istanbul
Yambol

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 Yambol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 58%, 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 $1,443 in Yambol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yambol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $354 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $599 in Yambol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Yambol, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Yambol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yambol – 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.

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