Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neum and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Neum: $955 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Neum
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Neum Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Neum

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$955

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $955 per month in Neum vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Neum $955
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Neum vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Neum $1,410
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Neum vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Neum $1,866
Istanbul $3,281

Neum is about 38% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Neum sits 29% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 BAM 9.27

$12.30 ₺607

-56.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 BAM 54.3

$54.7 ₺2,702

-43.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 BAM 9.94

$9.22 ₺455

-38.50%

Cappuccino

$1.90 BAM 3.33

$4.40 ₺218

-56.82%

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

$1.90 BAM 3.34

$1.68 ₺82.9

13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 BAM 2.08

$0.59 ₺29.33

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 BAM 4.42

$4.70 ₺232

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 BAM 3.84

$5.91 ₺292

-62.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 BAM 1.97

$1.21 ₺59.9

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 BAM 1.66

$0.89 ₺44.00

6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 BAM 3.63

$2.19 ₺108

-5.48%

Eggs

$2.57 BAM 4.50

$2.35 ₺116

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 BAM 13.81

$10.42 ₺515

-24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 BAM 12.91

$5.65 ₺279

30.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 BAM 18.20

$20.94 ₺1,034

-50.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 BAM 1.97

$1.90 ₺93.9

-41.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 BAM 2.84

$2.31 ₺114

-29.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 BAM 2.37

$1.28 ₺63.0

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.09

$1.80 ₺88.8

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 BAM 1.72

$0.65 ₺32.09

50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.73

$0.64 ₺31.84

54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 BAM 1.33

$1.25 ₺62.0

-39.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 BAM 1.24

$0.56 ₺27.52

26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 BAM 6.88

$2.37 ₺117

65.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.99 BAM 6.98

$13.42 ₺663

-70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BAM 1.36

$2.40 ₺119

-67.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 BAM 1.55

$3.48 ₺172

-74.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 BAM 2.22

$0.89 ₺43.74

42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 BAM 101

$67.4 ₺3,331

-14.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 BAM 3.06

$1.29 ₺64.0

34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 BAM 1.04

$0.92 ₺45.60

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 BAM 10.14

$10.96 ₺541

-47.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 BAM 2.71

$1.47 ₺72.8

5.44%

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

$29.9K BAM 52.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-41.20%

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

$21.3K BAM 37.4K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-52.11%

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

$135 BAM 237

$88.6 ₺4,378

52.82%

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

$17.64 BAM 30.91

$11.59 ₺573

52.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.86 BAM 45.31

$15.81 ₺781

63.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 BAM 56.9

$77.2 ₺3,812

-57.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 BAM 20.19

$22.74 ₺1,123

-49.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 BAM 10.05

$8.14 ₺402

-29.48%

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

$198 BAM 347

$1,008 ₺49.8K

-80.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,317 BAM 4,060

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-90.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 BAM 104

$54.0 ₺2,665

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.42 BAM 58.6

$40.83 ₺2,017

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 BAM 150

$98.9 ₺4,885

-13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 BAM 146

$96.6 ₺4,772

-13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 BAM 604

$985 ₺48.6K

-64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 BAM 434

$650 ₺32.1K

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 BAM 887

$1,983 ₺98.0K

-74.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 BAM 622

$1,180 ₺58.3K

-69.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 BAM 4,223

$3,138 ₺155.0K

-23.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,786 BAM 3,129

$1,780 ₺87.9K

0.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$847 BAM 1,485

$1,205 ₺59.5K

-29.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

40.92

-92.91%

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

Last update for Neum: 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

Neum

$248 25.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 162% $402

Groceries & Markets

Neum

$188 19.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 38.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neum

$179 18.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 35.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Neum

$118 12.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 10.8% $13

Eating Out

Neum

$112 11.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 100% $112

Getting Around

Neum

$67 7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 14.4% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Neum

$44 4.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 113% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $345 in Neum 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 42% 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 $31.00 in Neum versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $260 – making Neum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Neum

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

1 h ahead of Neum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.51 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.51 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 49.4 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.32 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Neum Istanbul 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Neum
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

Neum vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,432 per month in Neum 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 Neum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Neum 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 38% 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 Neum, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Neum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Neum – 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 Neum. 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.