Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kecskemet and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kecskemet: $1,171 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Kecskemet
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Kecskemet Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Kecskemet

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,171

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kecskemet and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kecskemet and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Kecskemet vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kecskemet $1,171
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Kecskemet vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kecskemet $1,730
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Kecskemet vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kecskemet $2,289
Istanbul $3,281

Kecskemet is about 24% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kecskemet sits 13% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.16 Ft 2,959

$12.30 ₺609

-25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.07 Ft 9,715

$54.7 ₺2,708

-45.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 Ft 2,524

$9.22 ₺456

-15.29%

Cappuccino

$1.57 Ft 507

$4.40 ₺218

-64.32%

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

$1.56 Ft 505

$1.68 ₺83.1

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 389

$0.59 ₺29.40

103.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 Ft 718

$4.70 ₺233

-52.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 Ft 733

$5.91 ₺292

-61.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 Ft 396

$1.21 ₺60.0

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 Ft 414

$0.89 ₺44.10

43.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 Ft 777

$2.19 ₺108

10.05%

Eggs

$3.69 Ft 1,192

$2.35 ₺116

57.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 Ft 3,354

$10.42 ₺516

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 Ft 2,166

$5.65 ₺280

18.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 Ft 4,398

$20.94 ₺1,037

-35.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 591

$1.90 ₺94.1

-3.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 Ft 539

$2.31 ₺114

-27.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Ft 588

$1.28 ₺63.1

42.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 Ft 1,015

$1.80 ₺89.0

74.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 318

$0.65 ₺32.16

52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 Ft 340

$0.64 ₺31.91

64.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 Ft 391

$1.25 ₺62.1

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 166

$0.56 ₺27.58

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 Ft 2,220

$2.37 ₺118

189.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.73 Ft 1,207

$13.42 ₺664

-72.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Ft 394

$2.40 ₺119

-49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 Ft 636

$3.48 ₺172

-43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 Ft 361

$0.89 ₺43.84

25.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.54 Ft 5,991

$67.4 ₺3,338

-72.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 Ft 398

$1.29 ₺64.1

-4.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 Ft 528

$0.92 ₺45.70

77.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.17 Ft 5,870

$10.96 ₺542

65.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 584

$1.47 ₺72.9

23.13%

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

$29.8K Ft 9.6M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-41.26%

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

$32.5K Ft 10.5M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.00%

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

$130 Ft 42.1K

$88.6 ₺4,387

47.02%

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

$32.28 Ft 10.4K

$11.59 ₺574

178.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.37 Ft 6,257

$15.81 ₺783

22.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 Ft 19.7K

$77.2 ₺3,820

-20.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.61 Ft 8,921

$22.74 ₺1,126

21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 Ft 2,512

$8.14 ₺403

-4.42%

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

$246 Ft 79.4K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-75.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,687 Ft 2.2M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-73.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 Ft 37.0K

$54.0 ₺2,671

112.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.05 Ft 4,863

$40.83 ₺2,021

-63.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.46 Ft 15.0K

$98.9 ₺4,895

-53.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 Ft 24.4K

$96.6 ₺4,783

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 Ft 165.6K

$985 ₺48.7K

-47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 Ft 127.4K

$650 ₺32.2K

-39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 Ft 224.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 Ft 191.1K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,321 Ft 749.9K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-26.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 Ft 634.4K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

10.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,099 Ft 355.1K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-8.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

40.92

-83.70%

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

Last update for Kecskemet: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kecskemet

$394 33.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 64.7% $255

Groceries & Markets

Kecskemet

$231 19.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 12.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kecskemet

$182 15.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 36.2% $66

Eating Out

Kecskemet

$142 12.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 57% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Kecskemet

$113 9.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 15.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kecskemet

$77 6.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 22% $17

Getting Around

Kecskemet

$32 2.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 137% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Kecskemet versus $985 in Istanbul. 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 10% 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 $30.00 in Kecskemet versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $260 – making Kecskemet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Kecskemet

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h ahead of Kecskemet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,450

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kecskemet Istanbul 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kecskemet
Istanbul

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

Kecskemet vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,757 per month in Kecskemet and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $246 per month in Kecskemet and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kecskemet, where all-in costs run around $1,171, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kecskemet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kecskemet – 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 Kecskemet. 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.