Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibiu: $1,135 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
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Sibiu Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,135

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,135 per month in Sibiu vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sibiu $1,135
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,666 per month in Sibiu vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sibiu $1,666
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $2,197 per month in Sibiu vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Sibiu $2,197
Istanbul $3,212

Sibiu is about 25% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sibiu sits 16% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 RON 40.90

$11.81 ₺592

-27.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.77 RON 198

$54.9 ₺2,754

-23.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 RON 35.49

$9.26 ₺465

-19.33%

Cappuccino

$3.08 RON 14.61

$4.30 ₺216

-28.37%

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

$2.02 RON 9.59

$1.77 ₺89.0

14.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 RON 8.66

$0.56 ₺28.32

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 RON 14.60

$4.69 ₺235

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 RON 18.53

$7.12 ₺357

-45.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$1.25 ₺62.7

9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 RON 5.50

$0.88 ₺44.17

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 RON 6.40

$2.20 ₺111

-38.64%

Eggs

$3.37 RON 16.02

$2.43 ₺122

38.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 RON 38.10

$10.48 ₺526

-23.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 RON 27.32

$5.31 ₺267

8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 RON 36.46

$21.10 ₺1,058

-63.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 RON 5.70

$1.86 ₺93.1

-35.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.44

$2.30 ₺115

-31.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.13

$1.22 ₺61.0

22.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 RON 12.52

$1.80 ₺90.2

46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 RON 3.34

$0.69 ₺34.83

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 RON 2.94

$0.64 ₺32.16

-3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 RON 4.87

$1.36 ₺68.0

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 RON 4.33

$0.58 ₺28.94

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 RON 27.60

$2.34 ₺117

148.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 RON 34.57

$13.03 ₺653

-44.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RON 4.64

$2.36 ₺118

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 RON 6.37

$3.32 ₺166

-59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$0.88 ₺44.07

-20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.85 RON 89.5

$66.1 ₺3,316

-71.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 RON 4.34

$1.28 ₺64.4

-28.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RON 4.34

$0.85 ₺42.80

7.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.21 RON 43.74

$11.09 ₺556

-16.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.04

$1.48 ₺74.0

28.38%

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

$29.0K RON 137.9K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-40.34%

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

$25.7K RON 121.9K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-38.86%

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

$116 RON 550

$92.7 ₺4,650

24.86%

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

$9.06 RON 43.04

$11.20 ₺562

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.21 RON 58.0

$15.89 ₺797

-23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.52 RON 159

$74.7 ₺3,745

-55.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.27 RON 67.8

$22.95 ₺1,151

-37.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 RON 31.54

$8.05 ₺404

-17.52%

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

$440 RON 2,089

$948 ₺47.6K

-53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,956 RON 47.3K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-73.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 RON 465

$53.9 ₺2,702

81.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 RON 185

$41.49 ₺2,081

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 RON 405

$101 ₺5,060

-15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 RON 415

$91.3 ₺4,580

-4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 RON 2,344

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 RON 2,010

$625 ₺31.3K

-32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 RON 3,924

$2,005 ₺100.6K

-58.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 RON 2,789

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-47.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,569 RON 12.2K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-14.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,034 RON 9,665

$1,730 ₺86.8K

17.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,165 RON 5,537

$1,136 ₺57.0K

2.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

40.42

-82.63%

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

Last update for Sibiu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibiu

$423 37.3%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 47.7% $202

Groceries & Markets

Sibiu

$195 17.2%

Istanbul

$258 17% 32.4% $63

Eating Out

Sibiu

$167 14.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 32.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Sibiu

$139 12.3%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 7.1% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibiu

$137 12.1%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 12.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sibiu

$47 4.1%

Istanbul

$91 6% 94% $44

Getting Around

Sibiu

$27 2.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 177% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $493 in Sibiu 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 $42 in Sibiu versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $258 – making Sibiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h ahead of Sibiu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,245

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 = 1.99 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 = 4.75 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 = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sibiu Istanbul 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sibiu
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

Sibiu vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,702 per month in Sibiu 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 Sibiu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $493 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Sibiu 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 32% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,135 in Sibiu and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sibiu costs $1,135 versus $1,519 in Istanbul. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

For expats, Sibiu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.