Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Holmestrand

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $2,828 in Holmestrand, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Holmestrand
Learn more

Holmestrand Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Holmestrand

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Holmestrand

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Istanbul versus $2,828 in Holmestrand.

Istanbul $1,525
Holmestrand $2,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Istanbul versus $4,256 in Holmestrand.

Istanbul $2,390
Holmestrand $4,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,256 in Istanbul versus $5,684 in Holmestrand.

Istanbul $3,256
Holmestrand $5,684

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 46% less than in Holmestrand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 13% above, Holmestrand 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$20.61 NOK 194

-41.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$126 NOK 1,184

-54.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$15.35 NOK 144

-38.05%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$5.87 NOK 55.3

-25.04%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$4.37 NOK 41.13

-59.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$3.33 NOK 31.33

-83.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$11.80 NOK 111

-60.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$12.44 NOK 117

-50.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.54 NOK 23.89

-51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$4.19 NOK 39.45

-77.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$4.56 NOK 42.95

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$5.94 NOK 55.9

-58.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$15.04 NOK 142

-29.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$15.40 NOK 145

-64.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$31.11 NOK 293

-30.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.25 NOK 30.58

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.67 NOK 25.10

-14.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$3.42 NOK 32.16

-62.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$5.90 NOK 55.5

-69.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$2.62 NOK 24.63

-74.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$2.82 NOK 26.51

-77.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$3.12 NOK 29.38

-59.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$2.35 NOK 22.14

-76.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$18.45 NOK 174

-87.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$16.53 NOK 156

-21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$3.50 NOK 32.91

-29.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$4.33 NOK 40.74

-19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$4.55 NOK 42.86

-81.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$83.9 NOK 790

-22.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$12.00 NOK 113

-88.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.78 NOK 16.76

-49.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$68.5 NOK 645

-84.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.43 NOK 22.91

-41.15%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$48.5K NOK 456.9K

2.12%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$44.2K NOK 416.5K

-2.39%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$413 NOK 3,886

-78.50%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$32.94 NOK 310

-64.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$53.1 NOK 499

-69.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$49.69 NOK 468

53.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$35.97 NOK 339

-36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$19.50 NOK 184

-57.64%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$231 NOK 2,177

338.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$15.3K NOK 144.1K

68.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$99.6 NOK 938

-46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$59.1 NOK 556

-31.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$133 NOK 1,251

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$159 NOK 1,493

-41.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

-19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$1,005 NOK 9,462

-37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,960 NOK 18.5K

1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,639 NOK 15.4K

-30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$6,235 NOK 58.7K

-50.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$4,007 NOK 37.7K

-55.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

4.94

723.68%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Holmestrand

$1K 35.6% 60.3% $378

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Holmestrand

$513 18.2% 95.6% $251

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Holmestrand

$396 14% 78.3% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Holmestrand

$203 7.2% 56.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Holmestrand

$499 17.6% 328% $382

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Holmestrand

$89 3.1% 4.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Holmestrand

$123 4.4% 65.5% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Istanbul and $1,219 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Istanbul vs $126 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $513 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Holmestrand

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

26,932

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Holmestrand 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Holmestrand

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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Holmestrand. 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 $2,287 in Istanbul and $4,242 in Holmestrand 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: $977 in Istanbul versus $1,219 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,015 in Istanbul versus $231 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,525 in Istanbul versus $2,828 in Holmestrand, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Holmestrand. 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 $1,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Istanbul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Holmestrand 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 85% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.