Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Bålsta and in Istanbul: $1,547 and $1,550 a month, rent and utilities included.

76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,547 in Bålsta versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Bålsta $1,547
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Bålsta versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Bålsta $2,416
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Bålsta versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Bålsta $3,286
Istanbul $3,281

Monthly costs are close between Bålsta and Istanbul; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, Istanbul 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 SEK 137

$12.30 ₺609

12.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 SEK 645

$54.7 ₺2,708

18.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 SEK 85.5

$9.22 ₺456

-6.51%

Cappuccino

$3.89 SEK 38.56

$4.40 ₺218

-11.59%

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

$2.65 SEK 26.21

$1.68 ₺83.1

57.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 22.00

$0.59 ₺29.40

276.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 SEK 68.4

$4.70 ₺233

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 SEK 67.6

$5.91 ₺292

15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$1.21 ₺60.0

26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 SEK 20.04

$0.89 ₺44.10

126.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 35.31

$2.19 ₺108

62.56%

Eggs

$3.62 SEK 35.86

$2.35 ₺116

54.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 SEK 108

$10.42 ₺516

4.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 SEK 119

$5.65 ₺280

112.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 108

$20.94 ₺1,037

-47.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.15

$1.90 ₺94.1

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.30

$2.31 ₺114

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 19.13

$1.28 ₺63.1

50.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 27.06

$1.80 ₺89.0

51.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.42

$0.65 ₺32.16

124.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SEK 12.07

$0.64 ₺31.91

90.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 SEK 14.94

$1.25 ₺62.1

20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 SEK 9.70

$0.56 ₺27.58

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 SEK 71.2

$2.37 ₺118

202.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 SEK 96.5

$13.42 ₺664

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$2.40 ₺119

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.88

$3.48 ₺172

-42.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 SEK 31.62

$0.89 ₺43.84

258.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 SEK 773

$67.4 ₺3,338

15.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 SEK 57.6

$1.29 ₺64.1

350.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 SEK 15.00

$0.92 ₺45.70

64.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.0 SEK 773

$10.96 ₺542

611.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.37

$1.47 ₺72.9

19.05%

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

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-35.25%

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

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-28.08%

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

$49.58 SEK 491

$88.6 ₺4,387

-44.05%

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

$20.01 SEK 198

$11.59 ₺574

72.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.64 SEK 393

$15.81 ₺783

150.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.01 SEK 377

$77.2 ₺3,820

-50.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.77 SEK 255

$22.74 ₺1,126

13.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 SEK 129

$8.14 ₺403

59.46%

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

$121 SEK 1,194

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-88.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 SEK 701

$54.0 ₺2,671

31.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.12 SEK 100

$40.83 ₺2,021

-75.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 803

$98.9 ₺4,895

-18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SEK 1,087

$96.6 ₺4,783

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,862

$985 ₺48.7K

-19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 SEK 5,966

$650 ₺32.2K

-7.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-14.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

26.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

57.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

220.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

40.92

-93.16%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$602 38.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 7.9% $48

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$294 19%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 11.8% $35

Eating Out

Bålsta

$251 16.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 10.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$122 7.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 6.9% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$109 7.1%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 6.2% $6.8

Getting Around

Bålsta

$104 6.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 26.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$64 4.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 46.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Bålsta and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 221% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65.0 in Bålsta vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $260 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

1 h ahead of Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 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 SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bålsta Istanbul 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bålsta
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

Bålsta vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 221% higher in Bålsta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Bålsta versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 16% less than in Istanbul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Istanbul pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,547 in Bålsta versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,547 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bålsta and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Bålsta wins on affordability, Istanbul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.