Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Pula and in Istanbul: $1,577 and $1,550 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
Learn more

Pula Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Pula vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pula $1,577
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,504 per month in Pula vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pula $2,504
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Pula vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Pula $3,432
Istanbul $3,281

Pula costs about 2% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 €13.01

$12.30 ₺607

18.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.9

$54.7 ₺2,702

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 €7.94

$9.22 ₺455

-3.58%

Cappuccino

$2.48 €2.22

$4.40 ₺218

-43.64%

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

$2.98 €2.66

$1.68 ₺82.9

77.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$0.59 ₺29.33

257.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.94

$4.70 ₺232

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.88

$5.91 ₺292

-26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.21 ₺59.9

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.89 ₺44.00

101.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.85

$2.19 ₺108

46.12%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.48

$2.35 ₺116

65.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 €9.54

$10.42 ₺515

2.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 €9.53

$5.65 ₺279

88.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 €16.50

$20.94 ₺1,034

-11.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.90 ₺93.9

0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.31 ₺114

-18.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.28 ₺63.0

65.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.80 ₺88.8

41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.65 ₺32.09

101.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.64 ₺31.84

103.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.25 ₺62.0

4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$0.56 ₺27.52

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.95

$2.37 ₺117

133.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.96

$13.42 ₺663

-41.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.40 ₺119

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$3.48 ₺172

-31.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.89 ₺43.74

144.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 €30.24

$67.4 ₺3,331

-49.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.29 ₺64.0

162.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.92 ₺45.60

136.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.65 €19.33

$10.96 ₺541

97.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.47 ₺72.8

21.09%

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

$26.0K €23.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-48.71%

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

$26.9K €24.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-39.60%

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

$156 €139

$88.6 ₺4,378

75.57%

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

$22.06 €19.70

$11.59 ₺573

90.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 €35.92

$15.81 ₺781

154.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.30 €44.03

$77.2 ₺3,812

-36.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.54 €33.53

$22.74 ₺1,123

65.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 €9.74

$8.14 ₺402

34.03%

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

$237 €212

$1,008 ₺49.8K

-76.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,769 €2,473

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-89.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €102

$54.0 ₺2,665

112.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 €31.77

$40.83 ₺2,017

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 €128

$98.9 ₺4,885

45.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$96.6 ₺4,772

37.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 €596

$985 ₺48.6K

-32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €467

$650 ₺32.1K

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,163

$1,983 ₺98.0K

-34.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €896

$1,180 ₺58.3K

-14.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 €3,854

$3,138 ₺155.0K

37.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,539 €3,160

$1,780 ₺87.9K

98.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,520 €1,357

$1,205 ₺59.5K

26.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

40.92

-91.35%

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

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pula

$523 33.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 24.2% $127

Groceries & Markets

Pula

$297 18.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 12.6% $37

Eating Out

Pula

$219 13.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 2.2% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pula

$218 13.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 46.7% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Pula

$192 12.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 32% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Pula

$71 4.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 31.4% $22

Getting Around

Pula

$57 3.6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 35.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $667 in Pula 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 26% higher in Pula, 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 $66.0 in Pula versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Pula

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

1 h ahead of Pula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,220

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pula Istanbul 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pula
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

Pula vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Pula 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 $237 per month in Pula 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 14% more in Pula, 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 Pula at $1,577. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pula 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, Pula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.