Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Zlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,757 in Zlin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Zlin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Zlin
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,757
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Zlin

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,757 in Zlin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Zlin $1,757

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,402 in Zlin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Zlin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,047 in Zlin, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Zlin $3,047

Istanbul is about 12% cheaper than Zlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Zlin sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Zlin by 30%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$9.28 Kč 201
32.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$36.10 Kč 781
51.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$6.22 Kč 135
48.23%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$3.15 Kč 68.1
39.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.01 Kč 43.36
-16.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$1.61 Kč 34.92
-63.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$2.35 Kč 50.8
100.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$2.83 Kč 61.2
108.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.01 Kč 21.93
19.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$1.25 Kč 26.93
-28.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.22 Kč 48.10
-1.35%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$3.50 Kč 75.7
-32.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$13.53 Kč 293
-22.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$9.65 Kč 209
-41.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$13.95 Kč 302
50.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$1.58 Kč 34.27
20.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.74 Kč 37.72
32.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.01 Kč 43.48
-36.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$3.61 Kč 78.1
-50.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.05 Kč 22.65
-38.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$0.92 Kč 19.94
-30.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.46 Kč 31.63
-14.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.64 Kč 13.77
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$7.24 Kč 157
-67.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$6.59 Kč 143
103.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$0.84 Kč 18.13
185.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.90 Kč 41.03
83.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$0.78 Kč 16.89
14.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$27.60 Kč 597
144.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$2.68 Kč 58.0
-51.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.58 Kč 34.22
-41.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$15.53 Kč 336
-29.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.78 Kč 38.44
-17.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$30.1K Kč 652.0K
68.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$29.8K Kč 644.1K
49.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$345 Kč 7,468
-74.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$20.90 Kč 452
-44.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$19.95 Kč 431
-20.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$50.3 Kč 1,087
53.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$11.45 Kč 248
98.60%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$10.57 Kč 229
-22.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$254 Kč 5,490
297.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$5,344 Kč 115.6K
378.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$110 Kč 2,375
-50.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$33.95 Kč 734
20.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$129 Kč 2,779
-23.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$111 Kč 2,394
-12.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$791 Kč 17.1K
24.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$663 Kč 14.3K
-1.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,147 Kč 24.8K
72.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$898 Kč 19.4K
31.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$4,936 Kč 106.7K
-36.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,422 Kč 74.0K
-47.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Zlin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$1,466 Kč 31.7K
-17.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
5.33
667.73%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zlin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Zlin
$663 2% $13
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Zlin
$260 0.3% $0.6
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Zlin
$163 27.2% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Zlin
$172 32% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Zlin
$386 233% $270
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Zlin
$71 23.6% $22
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Zlin
$41 46.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $791 in Zlin. 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 22% higher in Zlin, 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 $36.00 in Zlin. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Istanbul vs $260 in Zlin – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇨🇿 Zlin
🕒 Local time
00:05 12:05 AM
23:05 11:05 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
75,870
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Zlin 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Zlin

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 Zlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zlin cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Zlin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,635 in Zlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $254 in Zlin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Zlin?
Groceries cost about 0% more in Zlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Zlin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Zlin at $1,757. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Zlin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Zlin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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