Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hagfors

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,814 in Hagfors, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Hagfors despite lower rent and utilities.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Hagfors
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,814
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hagfors

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,814 in Hagfors, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Hagfors $1,814

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,845 in Hagfors, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Hagfors $2,845

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,877 in Hagfors, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Hagfors $3,877

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Hagfors, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Hagfors sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Hagfors by 34%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$14.93 SEK 148
-17.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$78.9 SEK 782
-30.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$9.80 SEK 97.1
-5.92%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.90 SEK 48.58
-10.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.97 SEK 29.47
-43.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.38 SEK 23.58
-75.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$7.89 SEK 78.2
-40.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$10.20 SEK 101
-42.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.75 SEK 17.37
-30.86%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.95 SEK 29.18
-69.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$4.68 SEK 46.41
-53.21%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$5.02 SEK 49.78
-53.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$10.12 SEK 100
2.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$14.26 SEK 141
-60.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$17.43 SEK 173
20.14%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$4.10 SEK 40.62
-53.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.77 SEK 27.48
-16.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$3.52 SEK 34.86
-63.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$5.17 SEK 51.3
-65.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.94 SEK 19.25
-66.49%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.69 SEK 16.78
-62.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$2.56 SEK 25.41
-51.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.27 SEK 12.57
-55.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$7.79 SEK 77.2
-69.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$10.08 SEK 99.9
33.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.39 SEK 23.72
0.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.57 SEK 25.51
35.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.24 SEK 32.11
-72.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$77.8 SEK 771
-13.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.25 SEK 52.0
-75.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.29 SEK 12.74
-28.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$61.7 SEK 612
-82.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.77 SEK 17.51
-16.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$32.2K SEK 319.4K
57.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$32.7K SEK 323.7K
36.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$109 SEK 1,083
-18.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$16.05 SEK 159
-27.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$47.62 SEK 472
-66.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$38.04 SEK 377
102.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$25.75 SEK 255
-11.69%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$10.09 SEK 100
-19.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$127 SEK 1,262
691.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$4,980 SEK 49.3K
413.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$106 SEK 1,047
-48.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$49.29 SEK 488
-17.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$92.9 SEK 921
6.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$202 SEK 2,006
-52.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$793 SEK 7,858
24.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$600 SEK 5,945
8.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,350 SEK 13.4K
46.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,013 SEK 10.0K
16.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$3,967 SEK 39.3K
-20.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$2,844 SEK 28.2K
-37.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Hagfors
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.8
976.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hagfors: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Hagfors
$600 7.7% $50
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Hagfors
$389 49.8% $129
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Hagfors
$289 29.4% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Hagfors
$203 55.1% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Hagfors
$173 49.1% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Hagfors
$58 37.7% $35
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Hagfors
$102 33.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $793 in Hagfors. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $79.0 in Hagfors. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $389 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇸🇪 Hagfors
🕒 Local time
19:02 7:02 PM
18:02 6:02 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
11,581
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Hagfors 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Hagfors

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 Hagfors: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hagfors cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Hagfors is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,721 in Hagfors. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $127 in Hagfors. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Hagfors?
Groceries cost about 50% more in Hagfors, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Hagfors?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Hagfors at $1,814. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hagfors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Hagfors more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Hagfors?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hagfors makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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