Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabljak and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabljak: $1,128 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Zabljak
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Zabljak Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Zabljak

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,128

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Zabljak vs $1,525 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabljak $1,128
Istanbul $1,525

A couple spends around $1,769 per month in Zabljak vs $2,390 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabljak $1,769
Istanbul $2,390

A family of three spends $2,410 per month in Zabljak vs $3,256 in Istanbul, rent included.

Zabljak $2,410
Istanbul $3,256

Zabljak is about 26% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zabljak sits 17% below the global median, while Istanbul is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 €7.08

$11.96 ₺592

-33.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.82 €28.30

$57.2 ₺2,834

-44.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 €5.82

$9.51 ₺471

-31.13%

Cappuccino

$1.63 €1.45

$4.40 ₺218

-62.95%

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

$2.24 €2.00

$1.75 ₺86.6

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.56 ₺27.57

158.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 €2.66

$4.71 ₺233

-36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.15

$6.14 ₺304

-42.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.24 ₺61.6

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 €0.57

$0.95 ₺47.25

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.28 ₺113

-42.54%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.64

$2.45 ₺121

21.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 €6.30

$10.56 ₺523

-32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 €6.42

$5.50 ₺272

31.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 €10.88

$21.65 ₺1,072

-43.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.83 ₺90.6

-27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.29 ₺113

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.28 ₺63.4

17.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.82 ₺90.1

-22.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 €0.58

$0.66 ₺32.74

-1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 €0.62

$0.63 ₺31.14

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.27 ₺62.8

-28.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.56 ₺27.62

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 €3.57

$2.36 ₺117

69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$12.98 ₺642

-66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.48 ₺123

-56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.50 ₺174

-50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.82 ₺40.77

98.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.55 €35.18

$65.2 ₺3,228

-39.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.33 ₺65.7

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$0.90 ₺44.60

-28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.00 €15.12

$10.91 ₺540

55.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.43 ₺70.7

23.78%

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

$29.3K €26.1K

$49.6K ₺2.5M

-40.85%

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

$25.6K €22.7K

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-40.82%

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

$113 €101

$88.8 ₺4,395

27.54%

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

$15.02 €13.36

$11.69 ₺579

28.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 €19.58

$16.09 ₺797

36.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €41.18

$76.3 ₺3,776

-39.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.72 €13.10

$22.72 ₺1,125

-35.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 €5.53

$8.26 ₺409

-24.82%

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

$392 €349

$1,015 ₺50.2K

-61.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,812 €8,728

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-62.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.65 €20.15

$53.3 ₺2,636

-57.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 €24.43

$40.55 ₺2,008

-32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 €48.89

$100 ₺4,956

-45.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 €60.2

$93.5 ₺4,630

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 €573

$977 ₺48.4K

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €405

$627 ₺31.0K

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 €1,135

$1,980 ₺98.0K

-35.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 €834

$1,147 ₺56.8K

-18.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,956

$3,095 ₺153.2K

7.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,097

$1,787 ₺88.5K

31.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 €713

$1,213 ₺60.1K

-33.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

40.69

-85.38%

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

Last update for Zabljak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zabljak

$455 40.3%

Istanbul

$627 41.1% 37.8% $172

Groceries & Markets

Zabljak

$196 17.4%

Istanbul

$263 17.2% 33.8% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zabljak

$150 13.3%

Istanbul

$117 7.6% 22.4% $34

Eating Out

Zabljak

$140 12.4%

Istanbul

$222 14.6% 59% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Zabljak

$78 6.9%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 66.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Zabljak

$59 5.2%

Istanbul

$93 6.1% 58% $34

Getting Around

Zabljak

$50 4.5%

Istanbul

$74 4.9% 47.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Zabljak versus $977 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 51% 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 $32.00 in Zabljak versus $57.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $263 – making Zabljak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Zabljak

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

00:10 12:10 AM

1 h ahead of Zabljak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900

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

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Between locations

Zabljak Istanbul 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zabljak
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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

Zabljak vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Zabljak and $2,287 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabljak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $392 per month in Zabljak and $1,015 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zabljak, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Zabljak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zabljak – 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 Zabljak. 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.