Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hella

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,722 in Hella, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Hella despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Hella
Learn more

Hella Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hella

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,722 in Hella, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Hella $1,722

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,928 in Hella, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Hella $2,928

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,135 in Hella, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Hella $4,135

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$31.26 ISK 3,791

-60.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$123 ISK 14.9K

-55.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$27.14 ISK 3,291

-66.03%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.93 ISK 841

-36.51%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.36 ISK 407

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.07 ISK 373

-80.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$13.71 ISK 1,663

-65.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$12.32 ISK 1,495

-52.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.04 ISK 247

-40.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.26 ISK 516

-79.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.58 ISK 434

-38.83%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$6.99 ISK 848

-66.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.00 ISK 2,668

-52.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$24.51 ISK 2,973

-76.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$41.04 ISK 4,978

-48.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.35 ISK 406

-43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.86 ISK 347

-19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.13 ISK 379

-59.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.62 ISK 803

-72.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$3.81 ISK 463

-82.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.71 ISK 208

-62.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$3.78 ISK 458

-66.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.77 ISK 215

-68.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$13.79 ISK 1,672

-82.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$23.61 ISK 2,863

-43.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.71 ISK 449

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.50 ISK 425

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.61 ISK 802

-80.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.76 ISK 335

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$81.2 ISK 9,844

-86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.09 ISK 253

-29.67%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$51.2K ISK 6.2M

-0.88%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$54.1K ISK 6.6M

-17.73%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$95.2 ISK 11.5K

-6.89%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$33.16 ISK 4,022

-65.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$87.7 ISK 10.6K

-81.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$19.67 ISK 2,386

-58.62%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,198 ISK 145.2K

-15.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$147 ISK 17.8K

-63.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$67.0 ISK 8,130

-39.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$183 ISK 22.2K

-45.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$253 ISK 30.7K

-61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.81

364.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hella: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Hella

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Hella

$620 36% 139% $361

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Hella

$534 31% 139% $310

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Hella

$292 17% 124% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Hella

$216 12.6% 86.2% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Hella

$39 * 2.3% 57.9% $54

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Hella

$20 * 1.2% 73.4% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $123 in Hella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $620 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇸 Hella

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

900

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Hella 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul, $1,722 in Hella – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,583 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $1,722 in Hella. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $1,198 in Hella. 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 Hella at $1,722. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hella 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 $1,722 in Hella. 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, Hella makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.