Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Szombathely: $1,231 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Szombathely
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Szombathely Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Szombathely

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,231

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Szombathely vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szombathely $1,231
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,949 per month in Szombathely vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szombathely $1,949
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Szombathely vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Szombathely $2,666
Istanbul $3,281

Szombathely is about 21% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Szombathely sits 9% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 Ft 3,724

$12.30 ₺609

-6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 Ft 17.2K

$54.7 ₺2,709

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 Ft 2,866

$9.22 ₺457

-3.58%

Cappuccino

$2.37 Ft 763

$4.40 ₺218

-46.14%

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

$1.35 Ft 434

$1.68 ₺83.1

-19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 413

$0.59 ₺29.41

116.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 Ft 555

$4.70 ₺233

-63.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 Ft 749

$5.91 ₺293

-60.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Ft 389

$1.21 ₺60.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 Ft 508

$0.89 ₺44.11

76.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 Ft 763

$2.19 ₺108

8.22%

Eggs

$3.14 Ft 1,014

$2.35 ₺116

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 Ft 3,349

$10.42 ₺516

-0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 Ft 2,111

$5.65 ₺280

15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 Ft 5,153

$20.94 ₺1,037

-23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 716

$1.90 ₺94.1

16.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 658

$2.31 ₺114

-11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 Ft 813

$1.28 ₺63.2

96.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 Ft 1,089

$1.80 ₺89.0

87.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Ft 349

$0.65 ₺32.17

66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 Ft 450

$0.64 ₺31.92

117.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 Ft 605

$1.25 ₺62.1

50.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 175

$0.56 ₺27.59

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 Ft 2,842

$2.37 ₺118

272.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 Ft 1,462

$13.42 ₺664

-66.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Ft 390

$2.40 ₺119

-49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 Ft 846

$3.48 ₺172

-24.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 Ft 284

$0.89 ₺43.85

-1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.09 Ft 8,734

$67.4 ₺3,339

-59.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Ft 865

$1.29 ₺64.1

107.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 Ft 441

$0.92 ₺45.71

48.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 Ft 7,620

$10.96 ₺543

115.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 596

$1.47 ₺73.0

25.85%

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

$28.8K Ft 9.3M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-43.27%

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

$33.4K Ft 10.8M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-25.02%

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

$168 Ft 54.3K

$88.6 ₺4,388

90.07%

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

$20.42 Ft 6,584

$11.59 ₺574

76.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.92 Ft 6,744

$15.81 ₺783

32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.96 Ft 15.1K

$77.2 ₺3,821

-39.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.68 Ft 6,666

$22.74 ₺1,126

-9.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 Ft 1,500

$8.14 ₺403

-42.87%

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

$423 Ft 136.2K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-58.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,637 Ft 2.5M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-70.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 Ft 33.0K

$54.0 ₺2,672

90.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 Ft 16.3K

$40.83 ₺2,022

23.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 Ft 31.2K

$98.9 ₺4,897

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Ft 35.8K

$96.6 ₺4,784

15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 Ft 173.3K

$985 ₺48.8K

-45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 Ft 109.3K

$650 ₺32.2K

-47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 Ft 243.1K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-61.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 Ft 208.0K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-45.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,402 Ft 774.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-23.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,980 Ft 638.3K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

11.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,175 Ft 378.9K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-2.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

40.92

-81.67%

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

Last update for Szombathely: 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

Szombathely

$339 27.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 91.7% $311

Groceries & Markets

Szombathely

$252 20.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 2.9% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szombathely

$210 17%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 44.7% $94

Eating Out

Szombathely

$171 13.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 30.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Szombathely

$162 13.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 19.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Szombathely

$56 4.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 66.1% $37

Getting Around

Szombathely

$40 3.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 91.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Szombathely 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 3% 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 $53.0 in Szombathely versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $260 – making Szombathely the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Szombathely

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

19:49 7:49 PM

1 h ahead of Szombathely

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,757

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.77 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 = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Szombathely Istanbul 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Szombathely
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

Szombathely vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Szombathely 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 Szombathely, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $423 per month in Szombathely 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 3% 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 Szombathely, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Szombathely it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Szombathely – 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 Szombathely. 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.