Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Horten

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $2,678 in Horten, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Horten
Learn more

Horten Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Horten

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Horten

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $2,678 in Horten, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Horten $2,678

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $3,785 in Horten, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Horten $3,785

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $4,892 in Horten, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Horten $4,892

Istanbul is about 43% cheaper than Horten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Horten sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Horten by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$21.27 NOK 200

-43.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$126 NOK 1,183

-54.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$16.13 NOK 152

-41.04%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.05 NOK 56.9

-27.27%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$3.00 NOK 28.24

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$3.22 NOK 30.29

-82.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$11.83 NOK 111

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$12.56 NOK 118

-51.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.28 NOK 21.47

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$3.49 NOK 32.90

-72.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$4.11 NOK 38.72

-44.53%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$5.24 NOK 49.30

-53.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$7.58 NOK 71.4

39.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$15.17 NOK 143

-63.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$11.97 NOK 113

80.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-44.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.74 NOK 25.76

-16.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$3.56 NOK 33.55

-64.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$6.05 NOK 57.0

-69.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$2.78 NOK 26.21

-76.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$2.97 NOK 27.95

-78.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$2.17 NOK 20.38

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$2.47 NOK 23.21

-77.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$19.34 NOK 182

-87.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$16.85 NOK 159

-22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$3.51 NOK 33.05

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$4.41 NOK 41.52

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$4.83 NOK 45.44

-83.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$87.3 NOK 821

-25.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$12.15 NOK 114

-89.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.89 NOK 17.78

-52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$70.8 NOK 667

-84.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.43 NOK 22.86

-41.15%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$48.4K NOK 455.9K

2.36%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$45.3K NOK 426.4K

-4.65%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$427 NOK 4,023

-79.23%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$34.47 NOK 324

-66.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$54.0 NOK 508

-70.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$20.34 NOK 191

-59.39%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$127 NOK 1,198

697.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$15.5K NOK 146.2K

66.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$100 NOK 944

-46.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$43.29 NOK 408

-6.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$57.7 NOK 543

73.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$161 NOK 1,512

-41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,108 NOK 10.4K

-11.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$1,010 NOK 9,512

-37.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,795 NOK 16.9K

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,263 NOK 11.9K

-9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

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 Horten: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Horten

$1K 37.7% 61.2% $384

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Horten

$420 15.7% 59.9% $157

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Horten

$400 15% 80.2% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Horten

$163 6.1% 25.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Horten

$516 19.3% 343% $399

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Horten

$41 * 1.5% 56.2% $52

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Horten

$128 4.8% 72.4% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,108 in Horten. 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $126 in Horten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $420 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Horten

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

28,001

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Horten 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Horten

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 Horten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,525 in Istanbul, $2,678 in Horten – roughly 76% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $4,017 in Horten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,525 in Istanbul and $2,678 in Horten. That's a gap of about 76%.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Horten at $2,678. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Horten 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 $1,525 in Istanbul to $2,678 in Horten. 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, Horten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.