Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szentendre and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Szentendre: $1,455 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Szentendre
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Szentendre Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Szentendre

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,455

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,455 per month in Szentendre vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szentendre $1,455
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,091 per month in Szentendre vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szentendre $2,091
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,726 per month in Szentendre vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szentendre $2,726
Istanbul $3,281

Szentendre is about 6% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Szentendre and Istanbul sit above the global median – Szentendre by 8%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 Ft 4,132

$12.30 ₺609

3.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 Ft 18.0K

$54.7 ₺2,708

1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 Ft 2,932

$9.22 ₺456

-1.84%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Ft 865

$4.40 ₺218

-39.32%

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

$1.90 Ft 615

$1.68 ₺83.1

13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 Ft 371

$0.59 ₺29.40

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 Ft 1,077

$4.70 ₺233

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Ft 930

$5.91 ₺293

-51.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 Ft 371

$1.21 ₺60.0

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 Ft 466

$0.89 ₺44.10

61.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 Ft 756

$2.19 ₺108

6.39%

Eggs

$3.36 Ft 1,089

$2.35 ₺116

42.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 Ft 3,648

$10.42 ₺516

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 Ft 1,969

$5.65 ₺280

7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 Ft 4,453

$20.94 ₺1,037

-34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 618

$1.90 ₺94.1

0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 684

$2.31 ₺114

-8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 656

$1.28 ₺63.2

57.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 Ft 1,233

$1.80 ₺89.0

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 Ft 326

$0.65 ₺32.17

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 319

$0.64 ₺31.92

53.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 Ft 503

$1.25 ₺62.1

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 171

$0.56 ₺27.59

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 Ft 2,540

$2.37 ₺118

230.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 Ft 1,935

$13.42 ₺664

-55.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 Ft 411

$2.40 ₺119

-47.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 Ft 528

$3.48 ₺172

-53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 Ft 386

$0.89 ₺43.84

33.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.79 Ft 9,332

$67.4 ₺3,339

-57.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 Ft 982

$1.29 ₺64.1

134.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 450

$0.92 ₺45.70

51.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.38 Ft 5,957

$10.96 ₺543

67.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 Ft 621

$1.47 ₺72.9

29.93%

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

$28.9K Ft 9.4M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-43.09%

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

$33.7K Ft 10.9M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-24.27%

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

$153 Ft 49.7K

$88.6 ₺4,388

72.99%

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

$30.94 Ft 10.0K

$11.59 ₺574

166.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.11 Ft 7,490

$15.81 ₺783

46.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.59 Ft 14.8K

$77.2 ₺3,821

-40.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 Ft 6,323

$22.74 ₺1,126

-14.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 Ft 2,521

$8.14 ₺403

-4.42%

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

$493 Ft 159.8K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-51.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K Ft 5.3M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 Ft 29.0K

$54.0 ₺2,671

66.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.81 Ft 9,015

$40.83 ₺2,021

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 Ft 32.1K

$98.9 ₺4,896

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Ft 34.1K

$96.6 ₺4,783

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 Ft 198.7K

$985 ₺48.7K

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 Ft 181.6K

$650 ₺32.2K

-13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 Ft 249.5K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-61.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 Ft 223.8K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-41.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,102 Ft 1.0M

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-1.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 Ft 1.2M

$1,780 ₺88.1K

116.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,545 Ft 500.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

28.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

40.92

-84.24%

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

Last update for Szentendre: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szentendre

$560 38.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 16% $90

Groceries & Markets

Szentendre

$242 16.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 7.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szentendre

$207 14.3%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 44% $91

Eating Out

Szentendre

$196 13.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 14.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Szentendre

$145 9.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 9.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Szentendre

$61 4.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 52.8% $32

Getting Around

Szentendre

$44 3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 76.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Szentendre versus $985 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 28% higher in Szentendre, 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 $56.0 in Szentendre versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Szentendre vs $260 in Istanbul – so Szentendre wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szentendre

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

1 h ahead of Szentendre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,444

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.53 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Szentendre Istanbul 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Szentendre
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

Szentendre vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,182 per month in Szentendre and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szentendre, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Szentendre and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Szentendre, where all-in costs run around $1,455, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szentendre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szentendre – 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 Szentendre. 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.