Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Torun and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Torun: $1,310 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Torun
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Torun Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Torun

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,310

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,310 per month in Torun vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Torun $1,310
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,895 per month in Torun vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Torun $1,895
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Torun vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Torun $2,480
Istanbul $3,281

Torun is about 15% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Torun sits 3% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 zł 39.45

$12.30 ₺609

-17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 zł 196

$54.7 ₺2,708

-7.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 zł 34.19

$9.22 ₺456

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$3.52 zł 13.67

$4.40 ₺218

-20.00%

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

$2.10 zł 8.15

$1.68 ₺83.1

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.32

$0.59 ₺29.40

176.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 zł 9.64

$4.70 ₺233

-47.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 zł 16.01

$5.91 ₺292

-30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 zł 3.80

$1.21 ₺60.0

-19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 zł 4.73

$0.89 ₺44.10

37.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 zł 6.12

$2.19 ₺108

-28.31%

Eggs

$2.96 zł 11.51

$2.35 ₺116

25.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 zł 30.39

$10.42 ₺516

-24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 zł 23.83

$5.65 ₺280

8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 zł 55.1

$20.94 ₺1,037

-32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.29

$1.90 ₺94.1

-42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 zł 6.44

$2.31 ₺114

-28.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 zł 6.11

$1.28 ₺63.1

22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 zł 12.41

$1.80 ₺89.0

77.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 zł 3.36

$0.65 ₺32.16

33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.35

$0.64 ₺31.91

115.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 zł 5.69

$1.25 ₺62.1

17.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 zł 2.18

$0.56 ₺27.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 zł 17.97

$2.37 ₺118

95.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.07 zł 27.47

$13.42 ₺664

-47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 zł 6.01

$2.40 ₺119

-35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 zł 8.37

$3.48 ₺172

-38.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 zł 4.59

$0.89 ₺43.84

32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.35 zł 98.5

$67.4 ₺3,338

-62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 zł 8.08

$1.29 ₺64.1

61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 zł 4.01

$0.92 ₺45.70

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 zł 24.83

$10.96 ₺542

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 zł 6.15

$1.47 ₺72.9

7.48%

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

$31.3K zł 121.5K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-38.44%

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

$26.7K zł 103.8K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-40.00%

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

$182 zł 707

$88.6 ₺4,387

105.35%

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

$10.45 zł 40.62

$11.59 ₺574

-9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.87 zł 65.5

$15.81 ₺783

6.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 zł 146

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.89 zł 85.0

$22.74 ₺1,126

-3.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 zł 29.88

$8.14 ₺403

-5.53%

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

$243 zł 944

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-75.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,177 zł 20.1K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-79.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 zł 335

$54.0 ₺2,671

59.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 zł 153

$40.83 ₺2,021

-3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 zł 325

$98.9 ₺4,895

-15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 zł 450

$96.6 ₺4,783

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 zł 2,045

$985 ₺48.7K

-46.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 zł 1,789

$650 ₺32.2K

-29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 zł 3,281

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 zł 2,319

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,387 zł 13.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

7.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,216 zł 8,610

$1,780 ₺88.1K

24.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 zł 6,754

$1,205 ₺59.7K

44.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

40.92

-84.82%

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

Last update for Torun: 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

Torun

$460 35.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 41.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Torun

$219 16.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 18.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Torun

$209 16%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 44.6% $93

Eating Out

Torun

$185 14.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 20.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Torun

$146 11.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 10.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Torun

$53 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 76.2% $40

Getting Around

Torun

$37 2.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 106% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Torun 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 44% higher in Torun, 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 $50.0 in Torun versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $260 – making Torun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Torun

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

02:42 2:42 AM

1 h ahead of Torun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

196,935

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Torun Istanbul 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Torun
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

Torun vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,965 per month in Torun 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 Torun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $243 per month in Torun 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 19% 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 Torun, where all-in costs run around $1,310, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Torun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Torun – 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 Torun. 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.