Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soroca and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $387 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$387

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $387 per month in Soroca vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Soroca $387
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $626 per month in Soroca vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Soroca $626
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $866 per month in Soroca vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Soroca $866
Istanbul $3,212

Soroca is about 75% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Soroca sits 71% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.27 MDL 199

$11.81 ₺592

-4.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.19 MDL 392

$54.9 ₺2,754

-59.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 MDL 78.9

$9.26 ₺465

-51.84%

Cappuccino

$1.40 MDL 24.78

$4.30 ₺216

-67.44%

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

$0.75 MDL 13.34

$1.77 ₺89.0

-57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MDL 7.49

$0.56 ₺28.32

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MDL 19.35

$4.69 ₺235

-76.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 MDL 24.06

$7.12 ₺357

-80.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 MDL 17.35

$1.25 ₺62.7

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 MDL 6.10

$0.88 ₺44.17

-60.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 MDL 20.02

$2.20 ₺111

-48.64%

Eggs

$1.92 MDL 33.88

$2.43 ₺122

-20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MDL 33.88

$2.30 ₺115

-16.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 MDL 10.87

$0.69 ₺34.83

-11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MDL 9.74

$0.58 ₺28.94

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MDL 19.96

$1.28 ₺64.4

-11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 MDL 29.89

$1.48 ₺74.0

14.19%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

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

$20.4K MDL 360.1K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-51.49%

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

$58.5 MDL 1,034

$92.7 ₺4,650

-36.93%

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

$8.12 MDL 144

$11.20 ₺562

-27.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.66 MDL 224

$15.89 ₺797

-20.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 MDL 493

$74.7 ₺3,745

-62.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$3.27 MDL 57.8

$8.05 ₺404

-59.38%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.87 MDL 599

$53.9 ₺2,702

-37.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 MDL 584

$41.49 ₺2,081

-20.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MDL 1,889

$101 ₺5,060

5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.00 MDL 583

$91.3 ₺4,580

-63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 MDL 8,711

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-56.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

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

Last update for Soroca: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Groceries & Markets

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$258 17%

Eating Out

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$91 6%

Getting Around

Soroca

–

Istanbul

$75 5%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Istanbul are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $22 in Soroca versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45 vs $258 – making Soroca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Soroca

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

1 h ahead of Soroca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,400

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 17.68 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 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 MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Soroca Istanbul 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Soroca
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

Soroca vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 293%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $580 per month in Soroca and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 469% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Soroca and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Soroca, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Soroca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $387 in Soroca to $1,519 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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