Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $768 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
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Veles Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $768 per month in Veles vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Veles $768
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,139 per month in Veles vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Veles $1,139
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,510 per month in Veles vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Veles $1,510
Istanbul $3,281

Veles is about 50% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Veles sits 43% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 MKD 472

$12.30 ₺609

-29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 MKD 982

$54.7 ₺2,708

-67.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 MKD 296

$9.22 ₺456

-41.11%

Cappuccino

$1.50 MKD 82.0

$4.40 ₺218

-65.91%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.0

$1.68 ₺83.1

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MKD 43.42

$0.59 ₺29.40

35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 MKD 80.7

$4.70 ₺233

-68.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MKD 165

$5.91 ₺292

-48.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 MKD 57.9

$1.21 ₺60.0

-12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 MKD 27.74

$0.89 ₺44.10

-42.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.2

$2.19 ₺108

-33.79%

Eggs

$2.48 MKD 135

$2.35 ₺116

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.96 MKD 162

$10.42 ₺516

-71.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MKD 222

$5.65 ₺280

-27.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 MKD 824

$20.94 ₺1,037

-27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.0

$1.90 ₺94.1

-25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 77.9

$2.31 ₺114

-38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 75.2

$1.28 ₺63.1

7.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MKD 103

$1.80 ₺89.0

4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MKD 46.16

$0.65 ₺32.16

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.33

$0.64 ₺31.91

29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 31.96

$1.25 ₺62.1

-52.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MKD 32.06

$0.56 ₺27.58

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 MKD 182

$2.37 ₺118

40.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.44 MKD 351

$13.42 ₺664

-52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 57.8

$2.40 ₺119

-55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MKD 81.0

$3.48 ₺172

-57.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MKD 43.05

$0.89 ₺43.84

-11.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.23 MKD 1,267

$67.4 ₺3,338

-65.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 60.3

$1.29 ₺64.1

-13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MKD 33.44

$0.92 ₺45.70

-33.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 MKD 405

$10.96 ₺542

-32.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MKD 79.8

$1.47 ₺72.9

-0.68%

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

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-47.23%

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

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-44.16%

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

$108 MKD 5,901

$88.6 ₺4,387

22.09%

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

$17.34 MKD 946

$11.59 ₺574

49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.02 MKD 655

$15.81 ₺783

-23.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.47 MKD 1,389

$77.2 ₺3,820

-66.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 MKD 972

$22.74 ₺1,126

-21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 MKD 184

$8.14 ₺403

-58.48%

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

$221 MKD 12.1K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-78.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-77.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.99 MKD 1,199

$54.0 ₺2,671

-59.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.42 MKD 1,005

$40.83 ₺2,021

-54.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 MKD 3,940

$98.9 ₺4,895

-26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MKD 5,987

$96.6 ₺4,783

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 MKD 11.9K

$985 ₺48.7K

-77.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 MKD 9,300

$650 ₺32.2K

-73.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 MKD 15.8K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-85.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 MKD 12.9K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-79.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-62.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$933 MKD 50.9K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-47.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 MKD 32.4K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-50.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

40.92

-89.66%

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

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Veles

$171 22.3%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 51.6% $88

Accommodation & Living

Veles

$170 22.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 281% $479

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veles

$138 17.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 15.6% $22

Eating Out

Veles

$125 16.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 77.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Veles

$100 13%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 30.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Veles

$32 4.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 190% $61

Getting Around

Veles

$31 4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 152% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $218 in Veles 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 103% 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 $18.00 in Veles versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $260 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Veles

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

1 h ahead of Veles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,716

15,701,602

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 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 MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Veles Istanbul 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Veles
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

Veles vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,151 per month in Veles 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 Veles, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $221 per month in Veles 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 52% 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 Veles, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Veles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Veles – 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 Veles. 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.