Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gjovik

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,573 in Gjovik, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Gjovik
Learn more

Gjovik Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Gjovik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gjovik

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,573 in Gjovik, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Gjovik $2,573

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,071 in Gjovik, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Gjovik $3,071

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,569 in Gjovik, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Gjovik $3,569

Istanbul is about 40% cheaper than Gjovik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Gjovik sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Gjovik by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$21.07 NOK 198

-41.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$126 NOK 1,184

-56.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$15.84 NOK 149

-41.79%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.23 NOK 39.80

4.02%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.19 NOK 30.02

-47.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.04 NOK 28.61

-80.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$10.14 NOK 95.5

-53.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$8.59 NOK 80.9

-31.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.46 NOK 23.12

-50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.07 NOK 38.34

-78.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.60 NOK 43.33

-52.39%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.94 NOK 55.9

-60.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.51 NOK 137

-28.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$15.16 NOK 143

-62.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$30.98 NOK 292

-32.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.25 NOK 30.63

-41.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.65 NOK 24.91

-12.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.43 NOK 32.24

-62.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.79 NOK 54.6

-68.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.64 NOK 24.89

-75.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.93 NOK 27.62

-78.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$3.07 NOK 28.94

-59.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$2.43 NOK 22.87

-76.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$18.62 NOK 175

-87.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$16.25 NOK 153

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.42 NOK 32.15

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$4.20 NOK 39.52

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.89 NOK 27.16

-69.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$11.95 NOK 113

-89.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.87 NOK 17.56

-50.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$68.8 NOK 647

-84.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.33 NOK 21.96

-36.91%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$47.3K NOK 444.8K

7.48%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$44.7K NOK 420.8K

-0.39%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$275 NOK 2,588

-67.77%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$33.14 NOK 312

-65.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$53.4 NOK 502

-70.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$42.59 NOK 401

81.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$14.74 NOK 139

-44.78%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$233 NOK 2,195

332.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$15.8K NOK 148.7K

61.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$100 NOK 944

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$59.3 NOK 559

-31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$130 NOK 1,223

-23.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$154 NOK 1,447

-37.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,591 NOK 15.0K

-38.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,040 NOK 9,788

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,078 NOK 19.6K

-4.54%

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

$3,746 NOK 35.3K

-67.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.94

728.34%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gjovik: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Gjovik

$1K 40.4% 60% $390

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Gjovik

$508 19.7% 95.5% $248

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Gjovik

$360 14% 61.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Gjovik

$199 7.8% 52.7% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Gjovik

$361 14.1% 212% $245

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Gjovik

$72 2.8% 22.9% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Gjovik

$33 * 1.3% 57.3% $44

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 $1,591 in Gjovik. 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 211% higher in Gjovik, 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 $126 in Gjovik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $508 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Gjovik

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

22:55 10:55 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

31,007

💱 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 = 55.66 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Gjovik 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gjovik

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 Gjovik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $2,573 in Gjovik – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,859 in Gjovik. 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 $2,573 in Gjovik. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $233 in Gjovik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Gjovik at $2,573. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gjovik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,550 in Istanbul to $2,573 in Gjovik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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