Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Blonduos

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,713 in Blonduos, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Blonduos despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Blonduos
Learn more

Blonduos Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Blonduos

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Blonduos

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,713 in Blonduos, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Blonduos $1,713

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,921 in Blonduos, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Blonduos $2,921

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,129 in Blonduos, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Blonduos $4,129

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Blonduos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Blonduos sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Blonduos by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$31.14 ISK 3,777

-60.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$125 ISK 15.1K

-56.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$26.65 ISK 3,232

-65.40%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.71 ISK 814

-34.43%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.40 ISK 412

-50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.03 ISK 368

-80.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$13.99 ISK 1,697

-66.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$12.33 ISK 1,495

-52.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.10 ISK 255

-42.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.11 ISK 498

-78.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.54 ISK 430

-38.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$7.16 ISK 869

-67.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.11 ISK 2,682

-52.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$24.36 ISK 2,955

-76.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$41.27 ISK 5,006

-49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.41 ISK 414

-44.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.76 ISK 334

-16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.13 ISK 380

-59.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.38 ISK 773

-71.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$4.00 ISK 485

-83.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.64 ISK 198

-60.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$3.79 ISK 460

-67.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.74 ISK 212

-67.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$14.05 ISK 1,704

-83.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$24.03 ISK 2,914

-44.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.71 ISK 450

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.50 ISK 424

-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)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.59 ISK 799

-80.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.77 ISK 335

-66.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$80.5 ISK 9,762

-86.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.00 ISK 243

-26.50%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

0.04%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$54.6K ISK 6.6M

-18.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$94.7 ISK 11.5K

-6.43%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$33.32 ISK 4,042

-65.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$85.1 ISK 10.3K

-81.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$19.41 ISK 2,354

-58.06%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,198 ISK 145.3K

-15.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$26.0K ISK 3.2M

-1.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$149 ISK 18.1K

-63.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$67.0 ISK 8,128

-39.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$183 ISK 22.2K

-46.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$246 ISK 29.9K

-60.80%

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 %)

40.92

8.81

364.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Blonduos: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Blonduos

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Blonduos

$620 36.2% 139% $360

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Blonduos

$530 30.9% 137% $307

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Blonduos

$291 17% 123% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Blonduos

$213 12.4% 83.7% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Blonduos

$39 * 2.3% 58.5% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Blonduos

$20 * 1.2% 73.4% $56

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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $125 in Blonduos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $620 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇸 Blonduos

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

900

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, 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).

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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Blonduos 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Blonduos

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 Blonduos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Blonduos costs about 11% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,569 in Blonduos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $125 in Blonduos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Blonduos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Blonduos at $1,713. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blonduos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $1,713 in Blonduos. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Blonduos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.