Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Almhult

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,946 in Almhult, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Almhult
Learn more

Almhult Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Almhult

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Almhult

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Almhult actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,946 in Almhult.

Istanbul $1,550
Almhult $1,946

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,819 in Almhult.

Istanbul $2,415
Almhult $2,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,691 in Almhult.

Istanbul $3,281
Almhult $3,691

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 20% less than in Almhult, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Almhult 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.12 SEK 130

-6.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$85.9 SEK 851

-36.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$12.41 SEK 123

-25.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.85 SEK 48.07

-9.28%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.92 SEK 28.96

-42.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.35 SEK 23.32

-74.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.07 SEK 70.1

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.40 SEK 73.4

-20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.72 SEK 17.00

-29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.72 SEK 26.98

-67.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.10 SEK 30.68

-29.35%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.67 SEK 36.32

-35.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.09 SEK 110

-6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.36 SEK 113

-50.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$16.61 SEK 165

26.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.48 SEK 24.54

-23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.33 SEK 23.09

-0.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.72 SEK 26.98

-52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.32 SEK 42.80

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.63 SEK 16.12

-60.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.32 SEK 13.06

-51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.52 SEK 15.06

-17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.59 SEK 15.78

-64.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.31 SEK 62.6

-62.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$15.12 SEK 150

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.47 SEK 14.55

63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.23 SEK 22.14

56.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.34 SEK 33.06

-73.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$77.4 SEK 767

-12.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.25 SEK 62.0

-79.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.70 SEK 16.84

-45.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$57.8 SEK 573

-81.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.73 SEK 17.16

-15.03%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.1K SEK 327.7K

53.55%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.8K SEK 334.5K

31.90%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$104 SEK 1,035

-15.13%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$19.39 SEK 192

-40.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$32.96 SEK 327

-52.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.28 SEK 369

106.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$26.16 SEK 259

-13.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$18.61 SEK 184

-56.26%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$218 SEK 2,164

361.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,377 SEK 43.4K

483.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$88.6 SEK 878

-39.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$32.29 SEK 320

26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$88.2 SEK 874

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$130 SEK 1,289

-25.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$790 SEK 7,828

24.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$840 SEK 8,326

-22.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,332 SEK 13.2K

48.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,027 SEK 10.2K

14.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,017 SEK 39.8K

-21.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,836 SEK 28.1K

-37.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.06

1237.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Almhult: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Almhult

$840 43.2% 29.3% $191

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Almhult

$345 17.7% 32.9% $85

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Almhult

$272 14% 21.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Almhult

$153 7.8% 16.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Almhult

$157 8.1% 35.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Almhult

$75 3.8% 20.3% $19

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Almhult

$105 5.4% 37.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $790 in Almhult. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $86.0 in Almhult for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $345 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Almhult

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

18,039

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Almhult 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Almhult

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

Istanbul vs Almhult: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Almhult. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $2,920 in Almhult to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $790 in Almhult. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Istanbul runs roughly 15% less than in Almhult. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $218 in Almhult. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,946 in Almhult, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Almhult. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istanbul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Almhult. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.