Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tesanj and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $880 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$880

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $880 per month in Tesanj vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tesanj $880
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,288 per month in Tesanj vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tesanj $1,288
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,696 per month in Tesanj vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tesanj $1,696
Istanbul $3,281

Tesanj is about 43% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tesanj sits 35% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 BAM 5.87

$12.30 ₺609

-72.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 BAM 28.07

$54.7 ₺2,708

-70.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 BAM 4.91

$9.22 ₺456

-69.41%

Cappuccino

$0.84 BAM 1.46

$4.40 ₺218

-80.91%

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

$1.39 BAM 2.42

$1.68 ₺83.1

-17.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$0.59 ₺29.40

40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 BAM 3.42

$4.70 ₺233

-58.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 BAM 2.95

$5.91 ₺292

-71.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$1.21 ₺60.0

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 BAM 1.44

$0.89 ₺44.10

-6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 BAM 4.30

$2.19 ₺108

12.79%

Eggs

$3.07 BAM 5.34

$2.35 ₺116

30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 BAM 17.44

$10.42 ₺516

-3.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 BAM 12.33

$5.65 ₺280

25.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 BAM 24.56

$20.94 ₺1,037

-32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.72

$1.90 ₺94.1

-47.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 BAM 2.79

$2.31 ₺114

-30.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 BAM 2.12

$1.28 ₺63.1

-4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$1.80 ₺89.0

-2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 BAM 1.82

$0.65 ₺32.16

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 BAM 1.89

$0.64 ₺31.91

70.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 BAM 2.00

$1.25 ₺62.1

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 BAM 1.69

$0.56 ₺27.58

73.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 BAM 6.59

$2.37 ₺118

59.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 BAM 15.07

$13.42 ₺664

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BAM 1.94

$2.40 ₺119

-53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 BAM 2.31

$3.48 ₺172

-61.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 BAM 2.57

$0.89 ₺43.84

66.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BAM 2.02

$1.29 ₺64.1

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 BAM 1.03

$0.92 ₺45.70

-35.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 BAM 18.18

$10.96 ₺542

-4.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BAM 2.75

$1.47 ₺72.9

7.48%

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

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-40.46%

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

$22.0K BAM 38.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-50.53%

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

$93.1 BAM 162

$88.6 ₺4,387

5.02%

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

$18.33 BAM 31.87

$11.59 ₺574

58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.91 BAM 50.3

$15.81 ₺783

82.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.13 BAM 57.6

$77.2 ₺3,820

-57.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.53 BAM 49.62

$22.74 ₺1,126

25.46%

Cinema Ticket

$2.79 BAM 4.86

$8.14 ₺403

-65.72%

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

$135 BAM 235

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-86.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,835 BAM 6,668

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-85.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 BAM 101

$54.0 ₺2,671

7.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 BAM 56.9

$40.83 ₺2,021

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 BAM 166

$98.9 ₺4,895

-3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 BAM 222

$96.6 ₺4,783

32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 BAM 554

$985 ₺48.7K

-67.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 BAM 452

$650 ₺32.2K

-59.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 BAM 817

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-76.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 BAM 638

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,412 BAM 4,195

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-23.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 BAM 3,096

$1,780 ₺88.1K

0.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$685 BAM 1,191

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-43.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

40.92

-89.49%

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

Last update for Tesanj: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tesanj

$260 29.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 150% $390

Groceries & Markets

Tesanj

$222 25.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 17% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Tesanj

$142 16.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 7.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tesanj

$140 15.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 17.3% $24

Eating Out

Tesanj

$68 7.7%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 230% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Tesanj

$39 4.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 141% $55

Getting Around

Tesanj

$10 * 1.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 667% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Tesanj 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 76% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $260 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h ahead of Tesanj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,500

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tesanj Istanbul 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tesanj
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

Tesanj vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 76%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,320 per month in Tesanj 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 Tesanj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Tesanj and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tesanj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tesanj – 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 Tesanj. 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.