Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Plovdiv: $1,234 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Plovdiv
Learn more

Plovdiv Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Plovdiv

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,234

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,234 per month in Plovdiv vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,234
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Plovdiv vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Plovdiv $1,888
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,542 per month in Plovdiv vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Plovdiv $2,542
Istanbul $3,212

Plovdiv is about 19% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Plovdiv sits 9% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 BGN 17.26

$11.81 ₺592

-16.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.76 BGN 81.4

$54.9 ₺2,754

-14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 BGN 16.58

$9.26 ₺465

2.92%

Cappuccino

$2.88 BGN 5.02

$4.30 ₺216

-33.02%

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

$1.91 BGN 3.32

$1.77 ₺89.0

7.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BGN 2.70

$0.56 ₺28.32

176.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 BGN 4.59

$4.69 ₺235

-43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BGN 7.98

$7.12 ₺357

-35.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BGN 3.20

$1.25 ₺62.7

47.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BGN 2.04

$0.88 ₺44.17

32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 BGN 3.93

$2.20 ₺111

2.73%

Eggs

$3.57 BGN 6.21

$2.43 ₺122

46.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 BGN 20.22

$10.48 ₺526

10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 BGN 15.18

$5.31 ₺267

64.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 BGN 24.95

$21.10 ₺1,058

-32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 BGN 2.88

$1.86 ₺93.1

-11.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 BGN 3.14

$2.30 ₺115

-21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 BGN 3.34

$1.22 ₺61.0

57.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 BGN 4.69

$1.80 ₺90.2

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 BGN 1.89

$0.69 ₺34.83

57.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 BGN 1.77

$0.64 ₺32.16

59.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 BGN 2.17

$1.36 ₺68.0

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 BGN 1.36

$0.58 ₺28.94

34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 BGN 7.10

$2.34 ₺117

74.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 BGN 10.74

$13.03 ₺653

-52.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.95

$2.36 ₺118

-52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BGN 3.37

$3.32 ₺166

-41.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 BGN 0.95

$0.88 ₺44.07

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.00 BGN 50.5

$66.1 ₺3,316

-56.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 BGN 2.76

$1.28 ₺64.4

24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 BGN 1.43

$0.85 ₺42.80

-3.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.87 BGN 18.91

$11.09 ₺556

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 BGN 3.05

$1.48 ₺74.0

18.24%

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

$30.5K BGN 53.1K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-37.24%

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

$24.8K BGN 43.2K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-40.89%

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

$111 BGN 194

$92.7 ₺4,650

20.05%

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

$18.88 BGN 32.85

$11.20 ₺562

68.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.50 BGN 26.96

$15.89 ₺797

-2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 BGN 74.6

$74.7 ₺3,745

-42.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 BGN 35.15

$22.95 ₺1,151

-11.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 BGN 15.50

$8.05 ₺404

10.68%

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

$590 BGN 1,026

$948 ₺47.6K

-37.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K BGN 19.2K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-70.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 BGN 117

$53.9 ₺2,702

25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.32 BGN 71.9

$41.49 ₺2,081

-0.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 BGN 169

$101 ₺5,060

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 184

$91.3 ₺4,580

15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 BGN 957

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-45.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 BGN 722

$625 ₺31.3K

-33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 BGN 1,501

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 BGN 1,137

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-41.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,270 BGN 3,950

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-24.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 BGN 2,718

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-9.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,119 BGN 1,947

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-1.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

40.42

-92.33%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: October 31, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plovdiv

$415 33.6%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 50.5% $209

Groceries & Markets

Plovdiv

$257 20.8%

Istanbul

$258 17% 0.6% $1.5

Eating Out

Plovdiv

$179 14.5%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 23.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plovdiv

$146 11.8%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 17.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Plovdiv

$140 11.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 7.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Plovdiv

$61 4.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 49.5% $30

Getting Around

Plovdiv

$37 3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 104% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $550 in Plovdiv versus $1,014 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 $47 in Plovdiv versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $258 – making Plovdiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Plovdiv

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

1 h ahead of Plovdiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

368,983

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Plovdiv Istanbul 370 km

From you

Plovdiv
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

Plovdiv vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,851 per month in Plovdiv and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plovdiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $550 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Plovdiv and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Plovdiv. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,234 in Plovdiv and $1,519 in Istanbul, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Plovdiv – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.