Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Fredrikstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,983 in Fredrikstad, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
Learn more

Fredrikstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Fredrikstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad.

Istanbul $1,550
Fredrikstad $2,983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $4,345 in Fredrikstad.

Istanbul $2,415
Fredrikstad $4,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $5,707 in Fredrikstad.

Istanbul $3,281
Fredrikstad $5,707

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 48% less than in Fredrikstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$26.28 NOK 247

-53.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$124 NOK 1,170

-55.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$12.65 NOK 119

-27.11%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.77 NOK 63.7

-35.01%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$5.55 NOK 52.3

-69.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$4.39 NOK 41.36

-86.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$11.55 NOK 109

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$9.57 NOK 90.1

-38.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.34 NOK 22.00

-48.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.31 NOK 40.56

-79.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.43 NOK 32.31

-36.15%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.82 NOK 54.8

-59.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.06 NOK 123

-20.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$17.96 NOK 169

-68.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$34.38 NOK 324

-39.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.37 NOK 31.71

-43.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.64 NOK 34.24

-36.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.30 NOK 40.49

-70.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.00 NOK 47.06

-64.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.63 NOK 24.74

-75.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.71 NOK 25.53

-76.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.82 NOK 26.50

-55.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$2.33 NOK 21.95

-75.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$15.51 NOK 146

-84.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$22.16 NOK 209

-39.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.49 NOK 32.81

-31.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$4.39 NOK 41.34

-20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$4.11 NOK 38.71

-78.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$64.5 NOK 607

4.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$12.56 NOK 118

-89.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.00 NOK 18.79

-54.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$70.1 NOK 660

-84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.30 NOK 21.64

-36.09%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

2.07%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

-4.96%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$331 NOK 3,118

-73.25%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$45.60 NOK 429

-74.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$66.9 NOK 630

-76.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$58.3 NOK 549

32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$40.86 NOK 385

-44.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$20.19 NOK 190

-59.68%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$168 NOK 1,579

500.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

104.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$155 NOK 1,459

-65.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$78.7 NOK 741

-48.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$144 NOK 1,358

-31.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$112 NOK 1,051

-13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

-25.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

-42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

-22.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

-47.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

-56.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

-64.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.95

726.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9% 74.1% $481

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1% 108% $280

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Fredrikstad

$446 15% 99.8% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4% 68.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9% 283% $328

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3% 5.6% $5.3

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5% 34.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 180% 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 $124 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $540 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

19:21 7:21 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

85,267

💱 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

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Between locations

Istanbul Fredrikstad 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Fredrikstad

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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 180% lower in Fredrikstad. 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $1,329 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $168 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. 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 Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Fredrikstad 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 92% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.