Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,611 in Rijeka, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,611

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,611 per month in Rijeka vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rijeka $1,611
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $2,416 per month in Rijeka vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rijeka $2,416
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $3,222 per month in Rijeka vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rijeka $3,222
Istanbul $3,272

Rijeka costs about 6% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Rijeka and Istanbul sit above the global median – Rijeka by 20%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 €11.87

$11.88 ₺585

11.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 €65.4

$55.1 ₺2,714

33.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 €8.86

$9.14 ₺450

8.53%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.01

$4.24 ₺209

-46.93%

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

$3.11 €2.77

$1.75 ₺86.0

77.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$0.54 ₺26.83

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 €3.38

$4.69 ₺231

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 €3.94

$5.97 ₺294

-25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.26 ₺62.1

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.44

$0.95 ₺46.81

69.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 €2.99

$2.31 ₺114

45.02%

Eggs

$3.79 €3.38

$2.47 ₺122

53.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 €14.14

$10.55 ₺520

50.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.06 €8.97

$5.60 ₺276

79.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 €12.93

$21.21 ₺1,045

-31.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.93 ₺95.1

-10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.29 ₺113

-23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.28 ₺63.1

42.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.84 ₺90.8

39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$0.67 ₺32.86

97.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.59 ₺29.31

122.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.33 ₺65.4

3.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$0.59 ₺29.10

130.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €5.10

$2.36 ₺116

142.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 €7.11

$13.47 ₺664

-40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.42 ₺119

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.54 ₺174

-40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €2.03

$0.83 ₺40.64

173.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 €48.80

$66.5 ₺3,273

-17.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.90

$1.35 ₺66.6

306.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.34

$0.85 ₺42.05

76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 €25.32

$10.86 ₺535

161.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.47 ₺72.3

31.29%

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

$25.9K €23.1K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-49.92%

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

$24.6K €22.0K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-44.60%

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

$187 €167

$89.2 ₺4,395

109.64%

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

$24.40 €21.78

$11.60 ₺572

110.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €35.28

$16.10 ₺793

145.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €47.69

$77.3 ₺3,805

-30.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 €9.93

$22.66 ₺1,116

-50.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.69 €5.97

$8.34 ₺411

-19.78%

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

$550 €491

$974 ₺48.0K

-43.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.3K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.8

$52.7 ₺2,597

90.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.30 €37.75

$39.16 ₺1,929

8.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$103 ₺5,083

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.8

$96.6 ₺4,759

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 €624

$994 ₺49.0K

-29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 €487

$629 ₺31.0K

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,083

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 €767

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-25.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,081 €3,642

$3,160 ₺155.7K

29.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 €3,503

$1,838 ₺90.5K

113.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 €1,347

$1,203 ₺59.3K

25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

41.09

-90.92%

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$546 34%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 15.2% $83

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$294 18.3%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 10.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$251 15.6%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 53.4% $134

Eating Out

Rijeka

$211 13.1%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 3.3% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$159 9.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 17.7% $28

Getting Around

Rijeka

$77 4.8%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 1.8% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$67 4.2%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 40.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Rijeka 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 25% higher in Rijeka, 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 $73.0 in Rijeka versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

1 h ahead of Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rijeka Istanbul 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rijeka
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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

Rijeka vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rijeka is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,416 per month in Rijeka 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 Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $550 per month in Rijeka 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 11% more in Rijeka, 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 $1,526, than in Rijeka at $1,611. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rijeka 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, Rijeka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.