Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Boden

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,775 in Boden, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Boden despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Boden
Learn more

Boden Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Boden

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Boden

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,775 in Boden, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Boden $1,775

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,778 in Boden, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Boden $2,778

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,781 in Boden, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Boden $3,781

Istanbul is about 13% cheaper than Boden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Boden sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Boden by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$18.90 SEK 187

-34.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$78.0 SEK 772

-29.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.10 SEK 100

-8.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.40 SEK 43.60

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.61 SEK 15.96

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.15 SEK 21.32

-72.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.92 SEK 68.6

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.82 SEK 77.5

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.46 SEK 14.50

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.38 SEK 23.54

-62.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.48 SEK 34.51

-37.07%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.23 SEK 41.96

-44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.07 SEK 120

-13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.93 SEK 118

-52.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.21 SEK 171

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.98 SEK 29.57

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.51 SEK 24.88

-7.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.89 SEK 28.64

-55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.62 SEK 45.79

-61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.59 SEK 15.79

-59.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.64 SEK 16.21

-60.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.20 SEK 21.80

-43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.42 SEK 14.05

-60.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.12 SEK 100

-76.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.00 SEK 99.1

34.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.97 SEK 19.57

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.26 SEK 22.39

53.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.36 SEK 33.31

-73.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$73.1 SEK 724

-7.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.86 SEK 58.1

-77.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.81 SEK 17.92

-49.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$49.99 SEK 495

-78.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.93 SEK 19.10

-23.83%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$25.0K SEK 248.0K

102.93%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.1K SEK 318.6K

38.51%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$105 SEK 1,037

-15.34%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$23.26 SEK 230

-50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$39.54 SEK 392

-60.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$57.5 SEK 570

34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.15 SEK 200

12.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$12.31 SEK 122

-33.87%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$154 SEK 1,524

555.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,671 SEK 56.2K

350.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$92.7 SEK 918

-41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$40.16 SEK 398

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$89.5 SEK 887

10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$136 SEK 1,346

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$908 SEK 9,000

8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$614 SEK 6,083

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,321 SEK 13.1K

50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

14.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,908 SEK 38.7K

-19.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,586 SEK 25.6K

-31.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,774 SEK 37.4K

-68.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.4

1103.53%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Boden: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Boden

$614 34.6% 5.5% $36

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Boden

$350 19.7% 34.7% $90

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Boden

$300 16.9% 34.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Boden

$161 9.1% 23.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Boden

$167 9.4% 44.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Boden

$82 4.6% 12.1% $11

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Boden

$101 5.7% 31.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $908 in Boden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 213% higher in Boden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $78.0 in Boden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $350 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Boden

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

18,680

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Boden 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Boden

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 Boden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boden is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,663 in Boden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,775 in Boden. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Boden at $1,775. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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