Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecin: $1,331 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Istanbul despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
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Szczecin Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,331

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Szczecin vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szczecin $1,331
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,974 per month in Szczecin vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szczecin $1,974
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $2,618 per month in Szczecin vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szczecin $2,618
Istanbul $3,272

Szczecin is about 13% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Szczecin sits 1% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 zł 34.04

$11.88 ₺585

-26.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.79 zł 179

$55.1 ₺2,714

-16.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 zł 32.50

$9.14 ₺450

-8.97%

Cappuccino

$2.93 zł 11.44

$4.24 ₺209

-30.90%

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

$1.80 zł 7.05

$1.75 ₺86.0

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 zł 5.52

$0.54 ₺26.83

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 zł 11.64

$4.69 ₺231

-36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 zł 12.09

$5.97 ₺294

-48.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.61

$1.26 ₺62.1

-26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 zł 4.90

$0.95 ₺46.81

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.16

$2.31 ₺114

-54.11%

Eggs

$3.24 zł 12.68

$2.47 ₺122

31.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 zł 36.70

$10.55 ₺520

-11.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 zł 24.43

$5.60 ₺276

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 zł 50.8

$21.21 ₺1,045

-38.71%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 zł 3.77

$1.93 ₺95.1

-50.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.39

$2.29 ₺113

-28.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 zł 6.19

$1.28 ₺63.1

23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 zł 9.14

$1.84 ₺90.8

27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 zł 3.32

$0.67 ₺32.86

26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 zł 4.20

$0.59 ₺29.31

81.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.36

$1.33 ₺65.4

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.33

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 zł 20.64

$2.36 ₺116

123.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 zł 25.38

$13.47 ₺664

-51.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 zł 4.17

$2.42 ₺119

-55.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 zł 5.70

$3.54 ₺174

-58.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 zł 2.90

$0.83 ₺40.64

-10.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 zł 98.2

$66.5 ₺3,273

-62.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 zł 7.69

$1.35 ₺66.6

45.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 zł 3.67

$0.85 ₺42.05

10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.96 zł 50.7

$10.86 ₺535

19.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 zł 6.44

$1.47 ₺72.3

12.24%

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

$30.2K zł 118.0K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-41.50%

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

$28.4K zł 111.2K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-36.00%

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

$243 zł 949

$89.2 ₺4,395

172.01%

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

$12.39 zł 48.42

$11.60 ₺572

6.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.74 zł 73.3

$16.10 ₺793

16.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 zł 118

$77.3 ₺3,805

-60.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.87 zł 195

$22.66 ₺1,116

120.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 zł 25.09

$8.34 ₺411

-23.02%

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

$329 zł 1,287

$974 ₺48.0K

-66.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,675 zł 30.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-70.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 zł 273

$52.7 ₺2,597

32.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 zł 140

$39.16 ₺1,929

-8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 zł 314

$103 ₺5,083

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 zł 350

$96.6 ₺4,759

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 zł 2,407

$994 ₺49.0K

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 zł 1,894

$629 ₺31.0K

-22.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 zł 4,506

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 zł 3,184

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-29.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,349 zł 13.1K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

5.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 zł 9,142

$1,838 ₺90.5K

27.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,622 zł 6,339

$1,203 ₺59.3K

34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

41.09

-83.40%

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

Last update for Szczecin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecin

$485 36.4%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 29.8% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecin

$274 20.6%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 57.3% $157

Groceries & Markets

Szczecin

$208 15.6%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 27.2% $56

Eating Out

Szczecin

$164 12.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 33.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecin

$124 9.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 5.9% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecin

$43 3.2%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 119% $51

Getting Around

Szczecin

$35 2.6%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 117% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Szczecin 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 35% higher in Szczecin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Szczecin versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $264 – making Szczecin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h ahead of Szczecin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

387,700

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Szczecin Istanbul 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Szczecin
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

Szczecin vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Szczecin 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 Szczecin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in Szczecin 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 27% more in Istanbul, 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 Szczecin, where all-in costs run around $1,331, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Szczecin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szczecin – 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 Szczecin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.