Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hella and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,722 in Hella, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Hella despite lower rent and utilities.

84

Cost of Living Index in Hella
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Hella Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,722 per month in Hella vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hella $1,722
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,928 per month in Hella vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hella $2,928
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,135 per month in Hella vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Hella $4,135
Istanbul $3,281

Hella costs about 11% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hella and Istanbul sit above the global median – Hella by 28%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.26 ISK 3,791

$12.30 ₺609

154.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$54.7 ₺2,708

124.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.14 ISK 3,291

$9.22 ₺456

194.36%

Cappuccino

$6.93 ISK 841

$4.40 ₺218

57.50%

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

$3.36 ISK 407

$1.68 ₺83.1

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ISK 373

$0.59 ₺29.40

420.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.71 ISK 1,663

$4.70 ₺233

191.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.32 ISK 1,495

$5.91 ₺292

108.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 247

$1.21 ₺60.0

68.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 ISK 516

$0.89 ₺44.10

378.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 ISK 434

$2.19 ₺108

63.47%

Eggs

$6.99 ISK 848

$2.35 ₺116

197.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.00 ISK 2,668

$10.42 ₺516

111.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.51 ISK 2,973

$5.65 ₺280

333.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.04 ISK 4,978

$20.94 ₺1,037

95.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ISK 406

$1.90 ₺94.1

76.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 ISK 347

$2.31 ₺114

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 ISK 379

$1.28 ₺63.1

144.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 ISK 803

$1.80 ₺89.0

267.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ISK 463

$0.65 ₺32.16

486.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ISK 208

$0.64 ₺31.91

167.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.78 ISK 458

$1.25 ₺62.1

202.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ISK 215

$0.56 ₺27.58

216.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 ISK 1,672

$2.37 ₺118

481.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.61 ISK 2,863

$13.42 ₺664

75.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 ISK 449

$2.40 ₺119

54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ISK 425

$3.48 ₺172

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.29 ₺64.1

412.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 ISK 335

$0.92 ₺45.70

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.2 ISK 9,844

$10.96 ₺542

640.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.47 ₺72.9

42.18%

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

$51.2K ISK 6.2M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

0.89%

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

$54.1K ISK 6.6M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

21.54%

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

$95.2 ISK 11.5K

$88.6 ₺4,387

7.40%

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

$33.16 ISK 4,022

$11.59 ₺574

186.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 ISK 10.6K

$15.81 ₺783

454.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$19.67 ISK 2,386

$8.14 ₺403

141.65%

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

$1,198 ISK 145.2K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

18.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

$25.6K ₺1.3M

0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 ISK 17.8K

$54.0 ₺2,671

171.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 ISK 8,130

$40.83 ₺2,021

64.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.2K

$98.9 ₺4,895

84.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$96.6 ₺4,783

162.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

40.92

-78.47%

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

Last update for Hella: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hella

$620 36%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 58.1% $361

Eating Out

Hella

$534 31%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 58.2% $310

Clothing & Footwear

Hella

$292 17%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 55.3% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hella

$216 12.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 46.3% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Hella

$39 * 2.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 138% $54

Getting Around

Hella

$20 * 1.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 276% $56

Accommodation & Living

Hella

- * 0%

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Hella versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $620 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Hella

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

3 h ahead of Hella

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hella Istanbul 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hella
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

Hella vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,722 in Hella, $1,550 in Istanbul – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,583 per month in Hella and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,722 in Hella and $1,550 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,198 per month in Hella and $1,008 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 $1,550, than in Hella at $1,722. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hella it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $1,722 in Hella. 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, Hella makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.