Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zgorzelec

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgorzelec: $1,412 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Zgorzelec
Learn more

Zgorzelec Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Zgorzelec

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zgorzelec

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,412 in Zgorzelec, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Zgorzelec $1,412

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,062 in Zgorzelec, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Zgorzelec $2,062

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $2,712 in Zgorzelec, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Zgorzelec $2,712

Istanbul costs about 8% more than Zgorzelec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Zgorzelec sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Zgorzelec by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$8.96 zł 34.83

33.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$50.8 zł 197

12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$7.65 zł 29.70

24.31%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.09 zł 12.02

42.39%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.88 zł 3.40

98.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$1.57 zł 6.09

-64.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$1.49 zł 5.77

216.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.01 zł 7.79

205.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$0.91 zł 3.52

36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$1.20 zł 4.67

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.43 zł 5.54

59.44%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$3.60 zł 13.97

-31.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$8.70 zł 33.79

21.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$6.13 zł 23.83

-10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$13.18 zł 51.2

64.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$0.86 zł 3.32

112.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.55 zł 6.04

47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.68 zł 6.53

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.50 zł 5.81

21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.66 zł 2.57

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.01 zł 3.91

-37.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.23 zł 4.76

3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.69 zł 2.68

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$4.72 zł 18.35

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$7.56 zł 29.36

71.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$0.87 zł 3.39

185.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$1.40 zł 5.45

150.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$1.05 zł 4.07

-21.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$30.83 zł 120

111.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$2.23 zł 8.66

-40.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.99 zł 3.85

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$12.86 zł 49.96

-15.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.67 zł 6.47

-14.37%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$30.9K zł 119.9K

60.66%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$26.7K zł 103.9K

61.47%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$295 zł 1,147

-69.94%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$7.65 zł 29.71

52.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$18.94 zł 73.6

-15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$38.09 zł 148

100.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$21.82 zł 84.8

4.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$7.55 zł 29.35

9.40%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$483 zł 1,875

110.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$7,429 zł 28.9K

247.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$77.2 zł 300

-31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$37.43 zł 145

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$85.4 zł 332

17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$108 zł 420

-13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$603 zł 2,341

62.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$498 zł 1,935

25.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$994 zł 3,860

99.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$815 zł 3,168

40.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$2,924 zł 11.4K

5.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$2,192 zł 8,515

-18.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$1,356 zł 5,270

-10.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

6.63

513.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zgorzelec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Zgorzelec

$498 35.3% 20.6% $129

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Zgorzelec

$205 14.5% 22% $58

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Zgorzelec

$153 10.8% 31.1% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Zgorzelec

$139 9.8% 7.2% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Zgorzelec

$322 22.8% 176% $205

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Zgorzelec

$53 3.8% 42.7% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Zgorzelec

$42 3% 43.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $603 in Zgorzelec. 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 12% higher in Zgorzelec, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $51.0 in Zgorzelec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $205 – making Zgorzelec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇱 Zgorzelec

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

29,534

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Zgorzelec 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Zgorzelec

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 Zgorzelec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,118 in Zgorzelec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zgorzelec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $483 in Zgorzelec. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zgorzelec, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Zgorzelec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zgorzelec – 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 Zgorzelec. 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.