Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Hultsfred

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,762 in Hultsfred, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Hultsfred
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,762
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Hultsfred

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,762 in Hultsfred.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Hultsfred $1,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,719 in Hultsfred.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Hultsfred $2,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,677 in Hultsfred.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Hultsfred $3,677

Living in Istanbul costs roughly 12% less than in Hultsfred, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Istanbul 15% above, Hultsfred 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$15.07 SEK 149
-18.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$69.6 SEK 689
-21.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$13.79 SEK 137
-33.14%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.44 SEK 44.01
-0.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.91 SEK 28.81
-42.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.55 SEK 25.31
-76.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$7.57 SEK 75.0
-37.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$6.27 SEK 62.2
-5.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.48 SEK 14.64
-18.24%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$2.87 SEK 28.47
-68.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$2.97 SEK 29.40
-26.26%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$4.58 SEK 45.40
-48.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$11.52 SEK 114
-9.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$11.11 SEK 110
-49.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$14.50 SEK 144
44.41%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.03 SEK 30.03
-37.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$3.08 SEK 30.56
-25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$3.67 SEK 36.40
-65.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$4.60 SEK 45.60
-60.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.63 SEK 16.19
-60.12%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.54 SEK 15.29
-58.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.83 SEK 18.18
-31.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.78 SEK 17.60
-68.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$8.48 SEK 84.0
-72.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$8.90 SEK 88.2
50.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$2.53 SEK 25.09
-5.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.56 SEK 25.39
35.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.20 SEK 31.71
-72.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$76.1 SEK 754
-11.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$5.83 SEK 57.7
-77.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$1.70 SEK 16.85
-45.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$58.8 SEK 583
-81.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.68 SEK 16.65
-12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$33.2K SEK 329.0K
52.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$33.3K SEK 330.4K
33.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$142 SEK 1,405
-37.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$26.60 SEK 264
-56.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$32.24 SEK 319
-50.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$37.63 SEK 373
105.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
$26.35 SEK 261
-13.70%
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$15.11 SEK 150
-46.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$170 SEK 1,686
492.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$4,891 SEK 48.5K
422.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$77.3 SEK 766
-30.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$43.70 SEK 433
-6.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$86.9 SEK 861
13.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$109 SEK 1,080
-11.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$807 SEK 7,995
22.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$609 SEK 6,039
6.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,326 SEK 13.1K
49.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,032 SEK 10.2K
14.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$4,000 SEK 39.6K
-21.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$2,841 SEK 28.1K
-37.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Hultsfred
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
3.93
941.22%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hultsfred: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Hultsfred
$609 6.2% $40
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Hultsfred
$351 35.1% $91
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Hultsfred
$287 28.7% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Hultsfred
$143 9.2% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Hultsfred
$201 72.9% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Hultsfred
$68 27.4% $26
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Hultsfred
$103 34.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $807 in Hultsfred. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $70.0 in Hultsfred for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $351 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇸🇪 Hultsfred
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
08:27 8:27 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
14,090
💱 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 Hultsfred 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Hultsfred

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 Hultsfred: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Hultsfred?
Istanbul wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Hultsfred. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Istanbul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Istanbul and in Hultsfred?
You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $2,643 in Hultsfred 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Istanbul compared to Hultsfred?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $807 in Hultsfred. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Istanbul and in Hultsfred?
Dining out is cheaper in Istanbul – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $70.0 in Hultsfred. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Istanbul compared to Hultsfred?
All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $1,762 in Hultsfred – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Istanbul or in Hultsfred?
At $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,762 in Hultsfred, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Istanbul but tight or insufficient in Hultsfred. The gap between the two cities makes Istanbul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Istanbul or Hultsfred?
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.
How safe is Istanbul compared to Hultsfred?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Hultsfred are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Istanbul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Hultsfred. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Istanbul vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?