Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Härnösand

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,729 in Härnösand, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Härnösand despite lower rent and utilities.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Härnösand
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,729
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Härnösand

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,729 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Härnösand $1,729

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,677 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Härnösand $2,677

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,625 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Härnösand $3,625

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Härnösand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Härnösand sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Härnösand by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$13.06 SEK 129
-5.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$74.8 SEK 741
-26.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$9.71 SEK 96.2
-5.05%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.36 SEK 43.18
0.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.59 SEK 25.66
-35.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.16 SEK 21.38
-72.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$6.85 SEK 67.9
-31.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$7.31 SEK 72.5
-19.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.69 SEK 16.72
-28.40%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.77 SEK 27.43
-67.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$3.64 SEK 36.02
-39.84%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.20 SEK 41.61
-44.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$11.83 SEK 117
-11.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$11.64 SEK 115
-51.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$16.86 SEK 167
24.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.10 SEK 30.70
-38.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.48 SEK 24.61
-6.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$3.01 SEK 29.85
-57.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$4.29 SEK 42.50
-58.04%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.59 SEK 15.73
-59.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.62 SEK 16.01
-60.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$2.17 SEK 21.55
-42.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.45 SEK 14.36
-61.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$7.19 SEK 71.2
-67.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$10.12 SEK 100
32.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.91 SEK 18.97
25.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.15 SEK 21.27
61.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.37 SEK 33.42
-73.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$77.7 SEK 770
-13.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.71 SEK 56.6
-77.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.66 SEK 16.43
-44.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$58.1 SEK 576
-81.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.72 SEK 17.08
-14.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$32.9K SEK 325.6K
54.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$32.4K SEK 321.2K
37.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$104 SEK 1,033
-14.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$23.72 SEK 235
-51.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$38.27 SEK 379
-58.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$38.20 SEK 379
101.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$25.53 SEK 253
-10.93%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$15.84 SEK 157
-48.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$156 SEK 1,551
544.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$5,027 SEK 49.8K
408.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$91.2 SEK 904
-40.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$39.17 SEK 388
4.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$90.0 SEK 892
9.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$135 SEK 1,341
-28.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$808 SEK 8,006
21.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$622 SEK 6,161
4.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,353 SEK 13.4K
46.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,005 SEK 9,957
17.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$3,932 SEK 39.0K
-20.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$2,802 SEK 27.8K
-36.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Härnösand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.45
1086.09%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Härnösand: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Härnösand
$622 4.3% $28
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Härnösand
$352 35.6% $93
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Härnösand
$254 13.7% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Härnösand
$160 22.6% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Härnösand
$166 43.3% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Härnösand
$70 25.2% $24
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Härnösand
$105 36.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $808 in Härnösand. 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 $75.0 in Härnösand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $352 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇸🇪 Härnösand
🕒 Local time
00:49 12:49 AM
23:49 11:49 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
24,689
💱 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 Härnösand 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Härnösand

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 Härnösand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Härnösand?
Härnösand costs about 12% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Istanbul and in Härnösand?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,594 in Härnösand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Istanbul or Härnösand?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Istanbul compared to Härnösand?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,729 in Härnösand. That's a gap of about 12%.
How expensive is transport in Istanbul compared to Härnösand?
Public transport costs about 15% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Istanbul or in Härnösand?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Härnösand at $1,729. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Härnösand it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Istanbul or Härnösand?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,550 versus $1,729 in Härnösand. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Istanbul compared to Härnösand?
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.
Should I move to Istanbul or to Härnösand?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Härnösand makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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