Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,844 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bergen

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 Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $2,844 in Bergen.

Istanbul $1,526
Bergen $2,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $4,282 in Bergen.

Istanbul $2,399
Bergen $4,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $5,719 in Bergen.

Istanbul $3,272
Bergen $5,719

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 46% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 14% above, Bergen 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$22.98 NOK 219

-48.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$135 NOK 1,292

-59.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$15.52 NOK 148

-41.11%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$5.42 NOK 51.8

-21.77%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$5.10 NOK 48.71

-65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$4.47 NOK 42.65

-87.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$12.57 NOK 120

-62.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$10.41 NOK 99.4

-42.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.15 NOK 20.57

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$3.78 NOK 36.13

-74.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.51 NOK 33.54

-34.19%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$6.41 NOK 61.3

-61.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$14.32 NOK 137

-26.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$17.21 NOK 164

-67.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$36.16 NOK 345

-41.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$4.12 NOK 39.38

-53.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.72 NOK 25.95

-15.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.61 NOK 34.44

-64.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$5.39 NOK 51.4

-65.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.52 NOK 24.02

-73.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$3.35 NOK 31.97

-82.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.86 NOK 27.34

-53.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.78 NOK 17.03

-66.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$17.10 NOK 163

-86.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$17.97 NOK 172

-25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$3.59 NOK 34.31

-32.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$4.21 NOK 40.20

-15.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$5.15 NOK 49.21

-83.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$86.4 NOK 825

-23.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$12.39 NOK 118

-89.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.84 NOK 17.61

-53.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$70.5 NOK 674

-84.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.35 NOK 22.42

-37.45%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$48.6K NOK 463.7K

6.33%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$43.3K NOK 413.9K

2.56%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$275 NOK 2,623

-67.51%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$32.93 NOK 314

-64.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$82.9 NOK 791

-80.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$45.61 NOK 436

69.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$41.77 NOK 399

-45.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$18.87 NOK 180

-55.80%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$238 NOK 2,272

309.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$12.0K NOK 114.9K

114.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$107 NOK 1,022

-50.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$54.6 NOK 522

-28.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$118 NOK 1,128

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$162 NOK 1,545

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,414 NOK 13.5K

-29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,083 NOK 10.3K

-41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$2,348 NOK 22.4K

-13.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,696 NOK 16.2K

-31.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$7,822 NOK 74.7K

-59.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$4,769 NOK 45.5K

-61.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$4,527 NOK 43.2K

-73.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

5.27

679.70%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.3% 72.2% $454

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Bergen

$524 18.6% 98.6% $260

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Bergen

$417 14.8% 91.6% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Bergen

$199 7% 51.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Bergen

$390 13.8% 234% $274

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Bergen

$83 3% 11.3% $11

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Bergen

$129 4.6% 70.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $1,414 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 276% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $135 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $524 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

292,482

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bergen 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bergen

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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 276% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Istanbul versus $1,414 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $974 in Istanbul versus $238 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,526 in Istanbul versus $2,844 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Istanbul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bergen 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 86% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.