Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Copenhagen

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,968 in Copenhagen, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Copenhagen
Learn more

Copenhagen Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Copenhagen

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Copenhagen

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,968 in Copenhagen, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Copenhagen $2,968

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $4,518 in Copenhagen, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Copenhagen $4,518

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $6,068 in Copenhagen, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Copenhagen $6,068

Istanbul is about 49% cheaper than Copenhagen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Copenhagen sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Copenhagen by 122%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$21.41 DKK 143

-44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$119 DKK 796

-53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$13.31 DKK 88.8

-31.33%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$7.07 DKK 47.20

-40.03%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$5.06 DKK 33.79

-65.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$3.73 DKK 24.88

-85.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$9.16 DKK 61.1

-48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$7.73 DKK 51.6

-22.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.10 DKK 14.04

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$4.73 DKK 31.56

-79.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.00 DKK 20.03

-23.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$5.77 DKK 38.49

-57.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$17.61 DKK 118

-40.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$13.72 DKK 91.5

-59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$26.72 DKK 178

-20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.42 DKK 22.80

-43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.11 DKK 20.78

-26.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.30 DKK 28.69

-70.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$5.59 DKK 37.30

-67.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.32 DKK 15.45

-71.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$2.14 DKK 14.26

-72.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.23 DKK 14.86

-40.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.32 DKK 8.79

-55.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$9.48 DKK 63.3

-75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.31 DKK 68.8

30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.80 DKK 12.02

34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.43 DKK 16.24

45.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$3.51 DKK 23.40

-76.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$105 DKK 701

-36.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$5.80 DKK 38.70

-76.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.61 DKK 10.72

-47.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$90.0 DKK 601

-87.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.57 DKK 17.13

-42.80%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$49.5K DKK 330.6K

4.21%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$54.0K DKK 360.1K

-17.65%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$185 DKK 1,236

-51.85%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$11.56 DKK 77.2

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$36.78 DKK 245

-56.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$64.1 DKK 428

20.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$34.40 DKK 230

-34.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$19.89 DKK 133

-58.07%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$981 DKK 6,546

-0.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,678 DKK 57.9K

197.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$111 DKK 740

-52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$54.8 DKK 365

-28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$126 DKK 844

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$198 DKK 1,319

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,960 DKK 13.1K

-49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,443 DKK 9,627

-56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$3,229 DKK 21.5K

-37.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$2,366 DKK 15.8K

-51.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$11.8K DKK 78.4K

-73.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$8,605 DKK 57.4K

-78.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$4,421 DKK 29.5K

-72.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

3.85

967.27%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Copenhagen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Copenhagen

$1.4K 48.4% 129% $813

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Copenhagen

$456 15.3% 72.9% $192

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Copenhagen

$392 13.2% 80.1% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Copenhagen

$220 7.4% 67.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Copenhagen

$234 7.8% 99.8% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Copenhagen

$104 3.5% 10.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Copenhagen

$133 4.5% 76.4% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,960 in Copenhagen. 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 267% higher in Copenhagen, 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 $119 in Copenhagen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $456 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇰 Copenhagen

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

14:18 2:18 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

613,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, 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 = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Copenhagen 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Copenhagen

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 Copenhagen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Copenhagen costs about 95% 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 $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $4,453 in Copenhagen. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $119 in Copenhagen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,526 in Istanbul and $2,968 in Copenhagen. That's a gap of about 95%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Copenhagen at $2,968. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Copenhagen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,526 versus $2,968 in Copenhagen. 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, Copenhagen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.