Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarhus and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,510 in Aarhus, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Aarhus
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Aarhus Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Aarhus

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,510

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,510 per month in Aarhus vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Aarhus $2,510
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,879 per month in Aarhus vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Aarhus $3,879
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $5,249 per month in Aarhus vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Aarhus $5,249
Istanbul $3,272

Aarhus costs about 64% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aarhus and Istanbul sit above the global median – Aarhus by 87%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.44 DKK 150

$11.88 ₺585

88.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 DKK 738

$55.1 ₺2,714

100.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 DKK 102

$9.14 ₺450

67.07%

Cappuccino

$7.19 DKK 47.96

$4.24 ₺209

69.58%

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

$4.32 DKK 28.80

$1.75 ₺86.0

146.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 DKK 22.48

$0.54 ₺26.83

524.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 DKK 55.6

$4.69 ₺231

77.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 DKK 58.4

$5.97 ₺294

46.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 DKK 13.73

$1.26 ₺62.1

63.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 DKK 26.27

$0.95 ₺46.81

314.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 DKK 15.96

$2.31 ₺114

3.46%

Eggs

$4.79 DKK 31.97

$2.47 ₺122

93.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 DKK 102

$10.55 ₺520

44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 DKK 75.3

$5.60 ₺276

101.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 DKK 125

$21.21 ₺1,045

-11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 DKK 21.44

$1.93 ₺95.1

66.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 DKK 23.99

$2.29 ₺113

57.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 DKK 26.17

$1.28 ₺63.1

206.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 DKK 34.24

$1.84 ₺90.8

178.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 DKK 14.92

$0.67 ₺32.86

234.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 DKK 13.84

$0.59 ₺29.31

250.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 DKK 14.02

$1.33 ₺65.4

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 DKK 10.13

$0.59 ₺29.10

157.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 DKK 65.5

$2.36 ₺116

316.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 DKK 67.2

$13.47 ₺664

-25.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 DKK 12.71

$2.42 ₺119

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 DKK 18.23

$3.54 ₺174

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.94 DKK 26.29

$0.83 ₺40.64

374.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 DKK 430

$66.5 ₺3,273

-3.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 DKK 38.81

$1.35 ₺66.6

331.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 DKK 11.60

$0.85 ₺42.05

104.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 DKK 421

$10.86 ₺535

480.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 DKK 17.31

$1.47 ₺72.3

76.19%

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

$49.7K DKK 331.9K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-3.63%

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

$53.2K DKK 355.0K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

19.70%

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

$220 DKK 1,465

$89.2 ₺4,395

146.11%

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

$15.36 DKK 102

$11.60 ₺572

32.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.61 DKK 291

$16.10 ₺793

170.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 DKK 389

$77.3 ₺3,805

-24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.34 DKK 162

$22.66 ₺1,116

7.41%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 DKK 130

$8.34 ₺411

133.93%

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

$741 DKK 4,943

$974 ₺48.0K

-23.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,100 DKK 40.7K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-76.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 DKK 785

$52.7 ₺2,597

123.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.53 DKK 310

$39.16 ₺1,929

18.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 DKK 1,035

$103 ₺5,083

50.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 DKK 1,264

$96.6 ₺4,759

96.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 DKK 8,817

$994 ₺49.0K

32.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 DKK 6,468

$629 ₺31.0K

54.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 DKK 15.2K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 DKK 11.6K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

50.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,597 DKK 50.7K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

140.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,196 DKK 34.7K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

182.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,583 DKK 30.6K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

280.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

41.09

-91.07%

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

Last update for Aarhus: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarhus

$969 39.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 35.1% $340

Eating Out

Aarhus

$402 16.3%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 45.7% $184

Groceries & Markets

Aarhus

$399 16.2%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 33.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarhus

$279 11.3%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 58% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Aarhus

$229 9.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 42.7% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Aarhus

$97 3.9%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 3.4% $3.3

Getting Around

Aarhus

$95 3.8%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 20.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,321 in Aarhus versus $994 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 281% higher in Aarhus, 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 $111 in Aarhus versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇰 Aarhus

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h ahead of Aarhus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,077

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Danish Krone DKK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to DKK – Danish Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇰 Danish Krone (kr)

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to DKK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aarhus Istanbul 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Aarhus
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

Aarhus vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,510 in Aarhus, $1,526 in Istanbul – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,765 per month in Aarhus and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 3% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $741 per month in Aarhus and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Aarhus at $2,510. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarhus it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Aarhus has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,526 in Istanbul to $2,510 in Aarhus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarhus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.