Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bodo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,466 in Bodo, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Bodo
Learn more

Bodo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bodo

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bodo

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,466 in Bodo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Bodo $2,466

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,975 in Bodo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Bodo $3,975

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $5,483 in Bodo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Bodo $5,483

Istanbul is about 37% cheaper than Bodo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Bodo sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Bodo by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$23.67 NOK 223

-48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$128 NOK 1,202

-57.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$23.87 NOK 225

-61.37%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-30.60%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$4.48 NOK 42.14

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.22 NOK 30.30

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$12.06 NOK 114

-61.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$15.06 NOK 142

-60.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.42 NOK 22.76

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.15 NOK 39.05

-78.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.10 NOK 38.57

-46.59%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.25 NOK 49.45

-55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.30 NOK 116

-15.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$19.38 NOK 182

-70.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.68 NOK 204

-3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.53 NOK 33.21

-46.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.75 NOK 25.90

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.59 NOK 43.19

-72.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.28 NOK 59.1

-71.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$3.10 NOK 29.19

-79.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.97 NOK 27.97

-78.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.97 NOK 28.00

-57.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$2.51 NOK 23.59

-77.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$14.41 NOK 136

-83.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$20.21 NOK 190

-33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.81 NOK 35.83

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$4.76 NOK 44.78

-26.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.67 NOK 43.92

-80.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$72.0 NOK 678

-6.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$9.65 NOK 90.8

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.71 NOK 16.14

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.25 NOK 21.19

-34.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$176 NOK 1,654

-49.57%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$40.89 NOK 385

-71.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$67.7 NOK 638

-76.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$49.58 NOK 467

55.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$13.59 NOK 128

-40.10%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$246 NOK 2,315

309.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$90.0 NOK 848

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$51.9 NOK 488

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$106 NOK 999

-6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,171 NOK 11.0K

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$915 NOK 8,610

-28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,219 NOK 20.9K

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,822 NOK 17.2K

-35.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$6,310 NOK 59.4K

-50.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,510 NOK 33.0K

-65.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.67

776.23%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bodo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bodo

$915 37.1% 40.8% $265

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bodo

$512 20.8% 97.2% $252

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bodo

$458 18.6% 105% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bodo

$112 * 4.5% 14.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bodo

$284 11.5% 145% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bodo

$77 3.1% 17.8% $17

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bodo

$109 4.4% 41.6% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,171 in Bodo. 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 191% higher in Bodo, 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 $128 in Bodo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $512 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Bodo

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

22:43 10:43 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

53,698

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bodo 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bodo

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 Bodo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bodo costs about 59% 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 $3,700 in Bodo. 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 $2,466 in Bodo. That's a gap of about 59%.

Public transport costs about 7% 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 Bodo at $2,466. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bodo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $2,466 in Bodo. 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, Bodo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.