Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
Learn more

Kalmar Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kalmar

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,907 in Kalmar, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kalmar $1,907

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,844 in Kalmar, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kalmar $2,844

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,781 in Kalmar, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kalmar $3,781

Istanbul is about 19% cheaper than Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Kalmar sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Kalmar by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$14.70 SEK 146

-16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$71.0 SEK 704

-22.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.27 SEK 102

-10.22%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.65 SEK 46.09

-5.38%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-77.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-15.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.47 SEK 14.61

-17.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-70.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-48.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$16.24 SEK 161

-35.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$10.97 SEK 109

-48.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.76 SEK 216

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.46 SEK 24.38

-22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-12.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.40 SEK 33.69

-62.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.27 SEK 42.33

-57.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.63 SEK 16.12

-60.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.30 SEK 22.82

-72.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-32.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.66 SEK 16.43

-66.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-70.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$9.19 SEK 91.1

46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.96 SEK 19.44

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.51 SEK 24.87

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-73.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$76.6 SEK 759

-11.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-86.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.66 SEK 16.40

-44.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$46.98 SEK 466

-76.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-13.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

69.86%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

55.16%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$142 SEK 1,403

-37.41%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$26.84 SEK 266

-56.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$31.79 SEK 315

-50.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$30.76 SEK 305

150.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$26.42 SEK 262

-13.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$14.67 SEK 145

-44.51%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$138 SEK 1,367

630.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

420.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$50.5 SEK 501

6.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$42.32 SEK 419

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$79.8 SEK 791

23.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$101 SEK 998

-4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$914 SEK 9,056

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$751 SEK 7,440

-13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

53.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

6.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

-22.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

-33.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

-58.12%

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 Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 15.6% $101

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 45.1% $117

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 29.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 5.8% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 72.6% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 35.7% $33

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 40.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $914 in Kalmar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 139% higher in Kalmar, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $71.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $377 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

35,170

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kalmar 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kalmar is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,861 in Kalmar. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $138 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Kalmar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Kalmar at $1,907. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.