Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vulcanesti and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Vulcanesti: $764 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Vulcanesti
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Vulcanesti Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Vulcanesti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$764

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $764 per month in Vulcanesti vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vulcanesti $764
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $1,124 per month in Vulcanesti vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vulcanesti $1,124
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Vulcanesti vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vulcanesti $1,484
Istanbul $3,212

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

Vulcanesti sits 43% below the global median, while Istanbul is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 MDL 122

$11.81 ₺592

-41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.72 MDL 525

$54.9 ₺2,754

-45.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 MDL 187

$9.26 ₺465

13.93%

Cappuccino

$1.10 MDL 19.43

$4.30 ₺216

-74.42%

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

$0.77 MDL 13.54

$1.77 ₺89.0

-56.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MDL 6.66

$0.56 ₺28.32

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 MDL 19.08

$4.69 ₺235

-76.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.17

$7.12 ₺357

-80.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MDL 16.09

$1.25 ₺62.7

-27.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 MDL 8.51

$0.88 ₺44.17

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MDL 30.08

$2.20 ₺111

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.15 MDL 37.95

$2.43 ₺122

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 MDL 120

$10.48 ₺526

-35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 MDL 80.2

$5.31 ₺267

-14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 MDL 144

$21.10 ₺1,058

-61.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 MDL 21.94

$1.86 ₺93.1

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MDL 28.90

$2.30 ₺115

-29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MDL 31.04

$1.22 ₺61.0

44.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MDL 30.55

$1.80 ₺90.2

-3.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 12.26

$0.69 ₺34.83

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 MDL 5.63

$0.64 ₺32.16

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 MDL 38.68

$1.36 ₺68.0

61.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 MDL 7.22

$0.58 ₺28.94

-29.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 59.9

$2.34 ₺117

44.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.36 MDL 41.74

$13.03 ₺653

-81.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 MDL 15.37

$2.36 ₺118

-63.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MDL 21.31

$3.32 ₺166

-63.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MDL 5.57

$0.88 ₺44.07

-64.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MDL 19.05

$1.28 ₺64.4

-15.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 MDL 3.00

$0.85 ₺42.80

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 MDL 60.1

$11.09 ₺556

-69.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MDL 22.76

$1.48 ₺74.0

-12.84%

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

$23.4K MDL 413.0K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-51.98%

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

$20.6K MDL 363.4K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-51.04%

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

$105 MDL 1,856

$92.7 ₺4,650

13.20%

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

$4.97 MDL 87.9

$11.20 ₺562

-55.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.52 MDL 97.6

$15.89 ₺797

-65.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.03 MDL 301

$74.7 ₺3,745

-77.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 MDL 135

$8.05 ₺404

-5.09%

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

$110 MDL 1,938

$948 ₺47.6K

-88.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MDL 91.5K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-85.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.74 MDL 544

$53.9 ₺2,702

-42.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.81 MDL 439

$41.49 ₺2,081

-40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 MDL 1,473

$101 ₺5,060

-17.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 MDL 2,472

$91.3 ₺4,580

53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 MDL 5,022

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-71.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 MDL 3,874

$625 ₺31.3K

-64.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MDL 4,832

$1,126 ₺56.5K

-75.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$846 MDL 15.0K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-71.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$855 MDL 15.1K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-50.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MDL 12.8K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-36.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

40.42

-81.44%

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

Last update for Vulcanesti: November 2, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vulcanesti

$219 28.7%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 185% $405

Groceries & Markets

Vulcanesti

$156 20.5%

Istanbul

$258 17% 65.2% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Vulcanesti

$125 16.4%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 3.2% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vulcanesti

$115 15.1%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 3.8% $4.4

Eating Out

Vulcanesti

$113 14.7%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 96.1% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Vulcanesti

$32 4.2%

Istanbul

$91 6% 181% $58

Getting Around

Vulcanesti

$3.2 * 0.4%

Istanbul

$75 5% 2264% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Vulcanesti versus $1,014 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 57% 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 $30 in Vulcanesti versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $258 – making Vulcanesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Vulcanesti

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

1 h ahead of Vulcanesti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.66 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 17.68 MDL (100 MDL = 5.66 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vulcanesti Istanbul 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vulcanesti
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

Vulcanesti vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,147 per month in Vulcanesti and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vulcanesti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Vulcanesti and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Vulcanesti, where all-in costs run around $764, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Vulcanesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vulcanesti – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Vulcanesti. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.