Bucharest vs Istanbul - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Bucharest Istanbul
🚶 Cost of living one person
$961
$1025
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2436
$2651
🏠 One person rent
$449
$514
🏘️ Family rent
$782
$1033
🍽️ Food expenses
$333
$309
🚐 Transport expenses
$70.7
$111
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1072
$752
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
12 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
76
95
😀 Quality of life
77
76
🏙️ Population
1.72M
15.5M

The cost of living in Bucharest is 6% less expensive than in Istanbul. Cities ranked 5593rd and 5143rd ($961 vs $1025) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in Romania and Turkey, respectively. Check Romania vs Turkey comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.1 months in Bucharest compared to 0.7 months in Istanbul. Bucharest ranked 1st best city to live in Romania vs Istanbul ranked 1st in Turkey, while ranked 703rd and 798th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Bucharest vs Istanbul infographic

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Prices in Bucharest vs Istanbul

Prices for goods and services in Bucharest and Istanbul are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Bucharest Istanbul
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$9.66
$9.37
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$44.5
$36.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.31
$6.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.68
$3.38
 Cappuccino
$2.94
$2.49
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.04
$1.07
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$464
$646
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$318
$422
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$863
$1399
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$587
$854
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$92.7
$37
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$131
$60.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$8.75
$10.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
7.17%
38.14%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2654
$2865
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1649
$1650
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.65
$0.59
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$19.2
$37.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.86
$4.79
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.51
$1.26
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.66
$1.1
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.98
$0.56
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.71
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.19
$2.18
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.05
$7.53
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.28
$5.47
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.9
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$1.11
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$1.64
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.59
$1.07
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.17
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.97
$0.7
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.02
$0.52
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.51
$0.26
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.03
$1.67
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.32
$9.69
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.03
$1.78
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.39
$1.78
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.97
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.19
$5.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.62
$2.82
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.57
$3.43
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$43.6
$37.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.54
$4.89
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$54.9
$54.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.5
$7.84
👖 Brand Jeans
$73.9
$45.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$81.2
$83
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$503
$423
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9569
$9042

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Bucharest

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8.3 mi Voluntari
$846
56 km or 35 mi Giurgiu
$817
60 km or 37 mi Ploiesti
$868
62 km or 39 mi Ruse
$619
77 km or 48 mi Targoviste
$702
77 km or 48 mi Alexandria
$681
102 km or 63 mi Buzau
$758
102 km or 63 mi Calarasi
$701
103 km or 64 mi Slobozia
$739
108 km or 67 mi Pitesti
$758
137 km or 85 mi Slatina
$610
143 km or 89 mi Shumen
$611
144 km or 90 mi Brasov
$928
151 km or 94 mi Veliko Tarnovo
$654
156 km or 97 mi Ramnicu Valcea
$595
161 km or 100 mi Pleven
$719
164 km or 102 mi Sfantu Gheorghe
$718
168 km or 104 mi Dobrich
$646
168 km or 105 mi Focsani
$748
177 km or 110 mi Braila
$639
180 km or 112 mi Craiova
$813
181 km or 112 mi Gabrovo
$495
192 km or 119 mi Galati
$743
192 km or 119 mi Sliven
$616
198 km or 123 mi Varna
$851
203 km or 126 mi Mamaia
$898
205 km or 127 mi Constanta
$962
216 km or 134 mi Yambol
$563
217 km or 135 mi Sibiu
$800
223 km or 138 mi Stara Zagora
$641
232 km or 144 mi Tulcea
$746
233 km or 145 mi Targu Jiu
$702
236 km or 146 mi Cahul
$812
237 km or 147 mi Barlad
$730
238 km or 148 mi Medias
$561
239 km or 148 mi Burgas
$508
243 km or 151 mi Vratsa
$865
251 km or 156 mi Bacau
$670
260 km or 161 mi Vidin
$661
267 km or 166 mi Targu Mures
$678

Cities near Istanbul

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Cayirova
$574
46 km or 28 mi Gebze
$582
73 km or 45 mi Korfez
$558
79 km or 49 mi Kocaeli
$527
83 km or 51 mi Golcuk
$577
87 km or 54 mi Izmit
$618
91 km or 56 mi Kapakli
$550
92 km or 57 mi Bursa
$772
96 km or 59 mi Kartepe
$577
98 km or 61 mi Corlu
$512
111 km or 69 mi Bandirma
$576
113 km or 70 mi Inegol
$642
121 km or 75 mi Tekirdag
$414
124 km or 77 mi Adapazari
$421
124 km or 77 mi Sakarya
$616
129 km or 80 mi Bilecik
$646
141 km or 88 mi Luleburgaz
$500
166 km or 103 mi Kirklareli
$407
176 km or 110 mi Balikesir
$665
186 km or 115 mi Duzce
$438
190 km or 118 mi Eskisehir
$558
192 km or 120 mi Uzunkopru
$561
197 km or 122 mi Kutahya
$640
207 km or 129 mi Burgas
$508
208 km or 129 mi Karadeniz Eregli
$530
214 km or 133 mi Edirne
$665
224 km or 139 mi Bolu
$519
234 km or 145 mi Soma
$618
236 km or 147 mi Canakkale
$570
259 km or 161 mi Varna
$851
260 km or 162 mi Alexandroupoli
$907
261 km or 162 mi Yambol
$563
261 km or 162 mi Usak
$576
284 km or 177 mi Afyonkarahisar
$493
287 km or 178 mi Sliven
$616
290 km or 180 mi Salihli
$606
290 km or 180 mi Bartin
$567
295 km or 184 mi Manisa
$647
296 km or 184 mi Mytilene
$937
299 km or 186 mi Komotini
$1001