Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hellerup

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,127 in Hellerup, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Hellerup
Learn more

Hellerup Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Hellerup

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hellerup

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,127 in Hellerup.

Istanbul $1,550
Hellerup $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $3,385 in Hellerup.

Istanbul $2,415
Hellerup $3,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $4,643 in Hellerup.

Istanbul $3,281
Hellerup $4,643

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 27% less than in Hellerup, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Hellerup 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺608

$20.76 DKK 138

-40.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,703

$111 DKK 742

-50.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺455

$13.35 DKK 89.0

-30.94%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.91 DKK 46.11

-36.32%

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

$1.68 ₺82.9

$4.07 DKK 27.13

-58.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.34

$3.41 DKK 22.75

-82.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺232

$8.40 DKK 56.0

-44.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.33 DKK 48.88

-19.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺59.9

$2.07 DKK 13.79

-41.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.01

$3.95 DKK 26.33

-77.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.35 DKK 15.66

-6.81%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.94 DKK 32.94

-52.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺515

$15.31 DKK 102

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺279

$11.41 DKK 76.1

-50.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,035

$18.49 DKK 123

13.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺93.9

$3.24 DKK 21.59

-41.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.03 DKK 20.18

-23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.0

$3.69 DKK 24.60

-65.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺88.8

$5.05 DKK 33.65

-64.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.10

$2.25 DKK 14.99

-71.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.85

$2.04 DKK 13.59

-68.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.0

$2.04 DKK 13.61

-38.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.53

$1.36 DKK 9.09

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺117

$9.67 DKK 64.5

-75.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺663

$10.29 DKK 68.6

30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.81 DKK 12.06

32.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.42 DKK 16.11

43.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.75

$3.71 DKK 24.73

-76.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,332

$86.9 DKK 580

-22.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.0

$5.92 DKK 39.50

-78.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.61

$1.59 DKK 10.63

-42.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺541

$62.4 DKK 416

-82.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.8

$2.50 DKK 16.66

-41.20%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$49.1K DKK 327.7K

3.36%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$52.1K DKK 347.2K

-14.46%

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

$88.6 ₺4,379

$179 DKK 1,192

-50.42%

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

$11.59 ₺573

$11.43 DKK 76.3

1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺781

$37.49 DKK 250

-57.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,813

$40.51 DKK 270

90.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,124

$24.63 DKK 164

-7.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺402

$20.33 DKK 136

-59.96%

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

$1,008 ₺49.8K

$742 DKK 4,947

35.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,997 DKK 40.0K

326.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,666

$107 DKK 716

-49.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,017

$47.48 DKK 317

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,886

$130 DKK 865

-23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,773

$190 DKK 1,264

-49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.6K

$909 DKK 6,060

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.1K

$722 DKK 4,812

-9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.0K

$1,437 DKK 9,586

37.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.3K

$1,280 DKK 8,537

-7.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.1K

$5,342 DKK 35.6K

-41.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺87.9K

$3,902 DKK 26.0K

-54.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.67

1014.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hellerup: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Hellerup

$722 33.9% 11% $72

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Hellerup

$392 18.4% 50.9% $132

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Hellerup

$376 17.7% 68.3% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Hellerup

$213 10% 63.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Hellerup

$228 10.7% 96.2% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Hellerup

$81 3.8% 13.1% $12

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Hellerup

$116 5.4% 50.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $909 in Hellerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $111 in Hellerup for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $392 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇰 Hellerup

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

75,805

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 49.41 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Hellerup 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Hellerup

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 Hellerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Hellerup. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $3,190 in Hellerup to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $909 in Hellerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $111 in Hellerup. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $2,127 in Hellerup – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $2,127 in Hellerup, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Hellerup. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Istanbul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,550 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Hellerup 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 37% less than in Hellerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.