Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Makarska and in Istanbul: $1,586 and $1,550 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,586 per month in Makarska vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Makarska $1,586
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,463 per month in Makarska vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Makarska $2,463
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Makarska vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Makarska $3,339
Istanbul $3,281

Makarska costs about 2% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Makarska and Istanbul sit above the global median – Makarska by 17%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.52

$12.30 ₺609

41.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.3

$54.7 ₺2,708

44.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 €7.02

$9.22 ₺456

-14.43%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.97

$4.40 ₺218

-24.09%

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

$4.00 €3.56

$1.68 ₺83.1

138.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.73

$0.59 ₺29.40

418.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.02

$4.70 ₺233

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.04

$5.91 ₺292

-23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.21 ₺60.0

-6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.89 ₺44.10

91.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$2.19 ₺108

40.18%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.35

$2.35 ₺116

108.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 €13.63

$10.42 ₺516

47.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.45

$5.65 ₺280

67.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$20.94 ₺1,037

-43.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.90 ₺94.1

3.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$2.31 ₺114

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.28 ₺63.1

64.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.80 ₺89.0

48.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$0.65 ₺32.16

241.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$0.64 ₺31.91

214.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.25 ₺62.1

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.56 ₺27.58

191.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 €4.94

$2.37 ₺118

134.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.80

$13.42 ₺664

-43.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.40 ₺119

-42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$3.48 ₺172

-57.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.89 ₺43.84

71.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.51 €35.14

$67.4 ₺3,338

-41.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.29 ₺64.1

139.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.92 ₺45.70

55.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 €10.69

$10.96 ₺542

9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.47 ₺72.9

13.61%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-48.97%

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

$24.9K €22.2K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-44.01%

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

$177 €158

$88.6 ₺4,387

100.21%

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

$27.30 €24.28

$11.59 ₺574

135.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.91 €38.17

$15.81 ₺783

171.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 €41.04

$77.2 ₺3,820

-40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.43 €14.61

$22.74 ₺1,126

-27.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €7.99

$8.14 ₺403

10.32%

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

$413 €368

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-59.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 €6,158

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-72.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €78.0

$54.0 ₺2,671

62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 €40.09

$40.83 ₺2,021

10.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$98.9 ₺4,895

6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 €70.4

$96.6 ₺4,783

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 €616

$985 ₺48.7K

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €459

$650 ₺32.2K

-20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-39.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 €780

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-25.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,594 €3,197

$3,138 ₺155.4K

14.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,232 €2,875

$1,780 ₺88.1K

81.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

40.92

-90.91%

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

Last update for Makarska: 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

Makarska

$516 32.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 25.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Makarska

$291 18.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 10.7% $31

Eating Out

Makarska

$269 17%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 17% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makarska

$248 15.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 53.1% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Makarska

$143 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Makarska

$64 4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 45.8% $29

Getting Around

Makarska

$56 3.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 37.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $692 in Makarska 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Makarska versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Makarska

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

13:42 1:42 PM

1 h ahead of Makarska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,809

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Makarska Istanbul 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makarska
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

Makarska vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Makarska is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,379 per month in Makarska 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Makarska 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 12% more in Makarska, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Makarska at $1,586. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makarska it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makarska makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.