Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zărnești

For one person, living is cheaper in Zărnești: $937 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
Learn more

Zărnești Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zărnești

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $937 in Zărnești, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Zărnești $937

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,419 in Zărnești, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Zărnești $1,419

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $1,901 in Zărnești, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Zărnești $1,901

Istanbul costs about 62% more than Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Zărnești is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$8.43 RON 40.29

40.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$42.06 RON 201

30.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$8.07 RON 38.60

14.75%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$2.13 RON 10.16

101.88%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.56 RON 7.46

13.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$1.20 RON 5.72

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$1.73 RON 8.26

171.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$2.35 RON 11.24

202.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.23 RON 5.88

1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.08 RON 5.16

-18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.42 RON 6.78

54.93%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.87 RON 13.73

-15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$7.86 RON 37.59

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.59 RON 21.96

15.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$10.24 RON 48.96

106.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$0.99 RON 4.73

87.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.30 RON 6.21

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.24 RON 5.94

-1.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.23 RON 5.87

46.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.76 RON 3.61

-9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.54 RON 2.60

18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.82 RON 3.90

65.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.71 RON 3.38

-18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$5.21 RON 24.90

-55.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$7.33 RON 35.03

77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$1.07 RON 5.10

120.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$1.24 RON 5.91

167.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.82 RON 3.93

7.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$21.80 RON 104

203.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.83 RON 3.96

54.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.85 RON 4.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$12.19 RON 58.3

-9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.45 RON 6.93

2.07%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$28.2K RON 134.7K

72.59%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$25.0K RON 119.4K

68.03%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$102 RON 487

-8.94%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$9.16 RON 43.80

22.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$8.16 RON 39.02

94.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$38.03 RON 182

96.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$21.72 RON 104

5.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$6.33 RON 30.26

27.17%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$427 RON 2,040

122.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$8,937 RON 42.7K

313.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$43.64 RON 209

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$27.38 RON 131

51.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$68.9 RON 329

46.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$76.7 RON 367

19.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$350 RON 1,673

189.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$319 RON 1,526

95.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$704 RON 3,367

184.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$462 RON 2,210

143.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,741 RON 8,324

71.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,342 RON 6,414

28.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$503 RON 2,406

125.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

7.47

441.10%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zărnești: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Zărnești

$319 34.1% 48.9% $305

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Zărnești

$179 19.1% 30.7% $79

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Zărnești

$142 15.1% 35.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zărnești

$97 10.4% 24.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Zărnești

$119 12.7% 0.5% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Zărnești

$51 5.4% 44.2% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Zărnești

$30 3.2% 59.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $350 in Zărnești. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $42 in Zărnești. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $179 – making Zărnești the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

17:37 5:37 PM

16:37 4:37 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

24,926

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.37 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Zărnești 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zărnești

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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, 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 $1,406 in Zărnești. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zărnești, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $350 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $427 in Zărnești. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $937 in Zărnești. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zărnești – 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 Zărnești. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.