Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varazdin and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Varazdin: $1,270 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Varazdin
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Varazdin Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Varazdin

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Varazdin vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varazdin $1,270
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,842 per month in Varazdin vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varazdin $1,842
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $2,414 per month in Varazdin vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Varazdin $2,414
Istanbul $3,281

Varazdin is about 18% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Varazdin sits 6% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.43 €10.17

$12.30 ₺609

-7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 €55.0

$54.7 ₺2,708

13.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 €9.03

$9.22 ₺456

10.09%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.01

$4.40 ₺218

-48.64%

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

$2.55 €2.27

$1.68 ₺83.1

51.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.74

$0.59 ₺29.40

232.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.50

$4.70 ₺233

-16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$5.91 ₺292

-41.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.21 ₺60.0

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.45

$0.89 ₺44.10

84.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.29

$2.19 ₺108

17.81%

Eggs

$3.40 €3.02

$2.35 ₺116

44.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 €4.88

$10.42 ₺516

-47.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 €7.39

$5.65 ₺280

47.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 €12.77

$20.94 ₺1,037

-31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.90 ₺94.1

-12.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$2.31 ₺114

-26.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.28 ₺63.1

38.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.80 ₺89.0

32.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.65 ₺32.16

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.64 ₺31.91

78.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.97

$1.25 ₺62.1

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.56 ₺27.58

105.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €5.01

$2.37 ₺118

137.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €7.08

$13.42 ₺664

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$2.40 ₺119

-68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.89

$3.48 ₺172

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.89 ₺43.84

55.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.38 €39.47

$67.4 ₺3,338

-34.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €3.03

$1.29 ₺64.1

164.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$0.92 ₺45.70

54.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 €11.69

$10.96 ₺542

19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.47 ₺72.9

11.56%

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

$26.3K €23.4K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-48.28%

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

$23.5K €20.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-47.16%

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

$146 €130

$88.6 ₺4,387

64.61%

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

$13.93 €12.39

$11.59 ₺574

20.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.69 €27.30

$15.81 ₺783

94.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.23 €38.45

$77.2 ₺3,820

-43.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.78 €11.37

$22.74 ₺1,126

-43.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 €6.10

$8.14 ₺403

-15.72%

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

$154 €137

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.5K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-49.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 €65.3

$54.0 ₺2,671

36.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.37 €29.68

$40.83 ₺2,021

-18.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 €54.6

$98.9 ₺4,895

-37.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 €64.0

$96.6 ₺4,783

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 €498

$985 ₺48.7K

-43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 €375

$650 ₺32.2K

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 €779

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-55.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 €416

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-60.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,127 €2,781

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-0.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 €2,204

$1,780 ₺88.1K

39.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 €1,227

$1,205 ₺59.7K

14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

40.92

-90.88%

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

Last update for Varazdin: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varazdin

$422 33.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 54% $228

Groceries & Markets

Varazdin

$239 18.8%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 8.7% $21

Eating Out

Varazdin

$194 15.3%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 15.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varazdin

$190 15%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 39.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Varazdin

$108 8.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 20.8% $23

Getting Around

Varazdin

$60 4.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 27.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Varazdin

$57 4.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 64.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $560 in Varazdin 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 14% higher in Varazdin, 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 $62.0 in Varazdin versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Varazdin vs $260 in Istanbul – so Varazdin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Varazdin

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

17:46 5:46 PM

1 h ahead of Varazdin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,782

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varazdin Istanbul 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Varazdin
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

Varazdin vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,905 per month in Varazdin 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 Varazdin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $154 per month in Varazdin 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 9% 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 Varazdin, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Varazdin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varazdin – 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 Varazdin. 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.