Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kragujevac and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kragujevac: $1,154 a month against $1,526 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 Kragujevac
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Kragujevac Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Kragujevac

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kragujevac 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 Kragujevac and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,154 per month in Kragujevac vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kragujevac $1,154
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,777 per month in Kragujevac vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kragujevac $1,777
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $2,400 per month in Kragujevac vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Kragujevac $2,400
Istanbul $3,272

Kragujevac is about 24% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kragujevac sits 14% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 RSD 1,083

$11.88 ₺585

-12.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.32 RSD 4,418

$55.1 ₺2,715

-23.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 RSD 1,011

$9.14 ₺450

6.02%

Cappuccino

$1.98 RSD 206

$4.24 ₺209

-53.30%

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

$2.31 RSD 241

$1.75 ₺86.0

32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 RSD 142

$0.54 ₺26.84

151.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 RSD 277

$4.69 ₺231

-43.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 RSD 352

$5.97 ₺294

-43.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 RSD 135

$1.26 ₺62.1

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 RSD 60.2

$0.95 ₺46.82

-38.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 RSD 195

$2.31 ₺114

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.46 RSD 257

$2.47 ₺122

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 RSD 1,002

$10.55 ₺520

-9.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 RSD 667

$5.60 ₺276

14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 RSD 1,193

$21.21 ₺1,045

-46.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RSD 124

$1.93 ₺95.1

-38.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 RSD 188

$2.29 ₺113

-20.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RSD 170

$1.28 ₺63.1

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 RSD 238

$1.84 ₺90.8

23.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 RSD 111

$0.67 ₺32.87

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 RSD 127

$0.59 ₺29.31

105.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 RSD 105

$1.33 ₺65.4

-24.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 RSD 66.1

$0.59 ₺29.11

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 RSD 458

$2.36 ₺116

86.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 RSD 802

$13.47 ₺664

-42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RSD 96.0

$2.42 ₺119

-61.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 RSD 241

$3.54 ₺174

-34.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 RSD 152

$0.83 ₺40.65

75.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.11 RSD 3,039

$66.5 ₺3,274

-56.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 RSD 146

$1.35 ₺66.6

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RSD 96.1

$0.85 ₺42.06

8.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 RSD 561

$10.86 ₺535

-50.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RSD 193

$1.47 ₺72.3

25.85%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-40.58%

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

$26.0K RSD 2.7M

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-41.56%

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

$188 RSD 19.6K

$89.2 ₺4,396

110.89%

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

$27.49 RSD 2,870

$11.60 ₺572

136.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.86 RSD 3,327

$16.10 ₺793

97.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 RSD 3,156

$77.3 ₺3,806

-60.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 RSD 2,109

$22.66 ₺1,116

-10.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 RSD 584

$8.34 ₺411

-32.97%

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

$173 RSD 18.0K

$974 ₺48.0K

-82.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,866 RSD 403.6K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-85.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 RSD 6,285

$52.7 ₺2,597

14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 RSD 6,896

$39.16 ₺1,930

68.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 RSD 12.9K

$103 ₺5,084

19.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 RSD 12.4K

$96.6 ₺4,760

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 RSD 41.0K

$994 ₺49.0K

-60.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 RSD 31.9K

$629 ₺31.0K

-51.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 RSD 65.8K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 RSD 52.0K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-56.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,215 RSD 231.3K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-29.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,597 RSD 166.7K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 RSD 96.9K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-22.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.84

41.09

-88.22%

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

Last update for Kragujevac: October 6, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kragujevac

$306 25.9%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 106% $323

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kragujevac

$248 21%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 52.8% $131

Groceries & Markets

Kragujevac

$208 17.6%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 27.2% $56

Eating Out

Kragujevac

$170 14.5%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 27.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Kragujevac

$166 14.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 20.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kragujevac

$41 3.5%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 127% $53

Getting Around

Kragujevac

$41 3.5%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 84.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Kragujevac versus $994 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 30% 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 $42.00 in Kragujevac versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $264 – making Kragujevac the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Kragujevac

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

08:41 8:41 AM

1 h ahead of Kragujevac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

146,315

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.58 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.54 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kragujevac Istanbul 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kragujevac
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

Kragujevac 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 groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,731 per month in Kragujevac and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $173 per month in Kragujevac and $974 in Istanbul. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kragujevac, where all-in costs run around $1,154, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Kragujevac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kragujevac – 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 Kragujevac. 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.