Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Roman: $842 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Roman
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Roman Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Roman

🇷🇴 Romania

$842

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $842 per month in Roman vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roman $842
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,393 per month in Roman vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roman $1,393
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Roman vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Roman $1,944
Istanbul $3,212

Roman is about 45% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Roman sits 38% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 RON 49.76

$11.81 ₺591

-11.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 RON 157

$54.9 ₺2,748

-39.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 RON 34.57

$9.26 ₺463

-21.49%

Cappuccino

$2.54 RON 12.07

$4.30 ₺215

-40.93%

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

$1.35 RON 6.41

$1.77 ₺88.8

-23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.94

$0.56 ₺28.26

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.18

$4.69 ₺234

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.37

$7.12 ₺356

-69.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 RON 5.63

$1.25 ₺62.6

-5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 RON 3.15

$0.88 ₺44.07

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.82

$2.20 ₺110

-35.00%

Eggs

$2.91 RON 13.85

$2.43 ₺122

19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 RON 37.35

$10.48 ₺524

-25.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 RON 27.40

$5.31 ₺266

8.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 RON 39.25

$21.10 ₺1,056

-60.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$1.86 ₺92.9

-42.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.11

$2.30 ₺115

-35.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$1.22 ₺60.8

13.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.70

$1.80 ₺90.0

1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.25

$0.69 ₺34.75

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$0.64 ₺32.09

29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$1.36 ₺67.8

-40.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RON 3.46

$0.58 ₺28.88

25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 RON 25.29

$2.34 ₺117

127.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 25.61

$13.03 ₺652

-58.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.56

$2.36 ₺118

-59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.59

$3.32 ₺166

-64.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 RON 3.53

$0.88 ₺43.97

-15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.48 RON 97.4

$66.1 ₺3,309

-69.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 3.11

$1.28 ₺64.3

-49.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.08

$0.85 ₺42.70

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 RON 35.01

$11.09 ₺555

-33.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.66

$1.48 ₺73.9

22.97%

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

$28.3K RON 134.7K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-41.80%

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

$24.7K RON 117.7K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-41.04%

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

$147 RON 700

$92.7 ₺4,639

58.68%

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

$6.70 RON 31.88

$11.20 ₺560

-40.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 RON 38.21

$15.89 ₺795

-49.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 RON 178

$74.7 ₺3,737

-49.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 RON 82.0

$22.95 ₺1,149

-24.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 RON 29.76

$8.05 ₺403

-22.24%

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

$290 RON 1,378

$948 ₺47.5K

-69.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,433 RON 30.6K

$36.9K ₺1.8M

-82.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 RON 456

$53.9 ₺2,696

78.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.20 RON 120

$41.49 ₺2,076

-39.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 RON 293

$101 ₺5,049

-38.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 RON 278

$91.3 ₺4,570

-36.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 RON 1,015

$1,014 ₺50.7K

-78.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 RON 755

$625 ₺31.3K

-74.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 RON 2,908

$2,005 ₺100.4K

-69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 RON 2,183

$1,126 ₺56.3K

-59.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,818 RON 8,650

$2,988 ₺149.5K

-39.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 RON 7,225

$1,730 ₺86.6K

-12.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$828 RON 3,938

$1,136 ₺56.9K

-27.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

40.42

-82.19%

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

Last update for Roman: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Roman

$176 20.8%

Istanbul

$258 17% 47.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roman

$162 19.2%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 26% $42

Eating Out

Roman

$161 19.1%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 37.6% $60

Accommodation & Living

Roman

$159 18.8%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 294% $466

Clothing & Footwear

Roman

$109 12.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 19.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Roman

$50 5.9%

Istanbul

$91 6% 81.8% $41

Getting Around

Roman

$27 3.3%

Istanbul

$75 5% 175% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Roman 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.

Salaries run about 37% 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 $33 in Roman versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $258 – making Roman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Roman

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

1 h ahead of Roman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,328

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.76 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.04 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.18 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Roman Istanbul 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Roman
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

Roman vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,264 per month in Roman 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 Roman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Roman and $948 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Roman, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Roman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Roman. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.