Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Karlskrona

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Karlskrona: $1,550 and $1,617 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Karlskrona
Learn more

Karlskrona Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Karlskrona

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Karlskrona

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,617 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Karlskrona $1,617

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,525 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Karlskrona $2,525

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,434 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Karlskrona $3,434

Istanbul is about 4% cheaper than Karlskrona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Karlskrona sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Karlskrona by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$12.71 SEK 126

-3.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$63.9 SEK 633

-14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.79 SEK 87.1

4.89%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.96 SEK 39.23

11.11%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.30 SEK 12.90

29.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.19 SEK 21.71

-73.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.04 SEK 69.8

-33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.09 SEK 50.5

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.45 SEK 14.36

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.78 SEK 27.50

-67.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.60 SEK 35.72

-39.17%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.38 SEK 43.41

-46.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.82 SEK 107

-3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$13.33 SEK 132

-57.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.14 SEK 170

22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.98 SEK 29.52

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.43 SEK 24.06

-4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.97 SEK 29.43

-56.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.41 SEK 43.65

-59.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.47 SEK 14.59

-55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.53 SEK 15.20

-58.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.10 SEK 20.82

-40.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.36 SEK 13.43

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.19 SEK 71.2

-67.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$12.29 SEK 122

9.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.99 SEK 19.74

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.69 SEK 16.77

105.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.92 SEK 28.94

-69.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$69.8 SEK 691

-3.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$12.92 SEK 128

-90.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.02 SEK 20.00

-54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$80.5 SEK 798

-86.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.73 SEK 17.18

-15.03%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.4K SEK 330.6K

52.20%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.8K SEK 324.7K

35.87%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$51.5 SEK 510

72.23%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$27.15 SEK 269

-57.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$37.02 SEK 367

-57.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$41.67 SEK 413

85.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.12 SEK 160

-49.50%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$159 SEK 1,572

535.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$98.3 SEK 973

-45.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$20.03 SEK 198

103.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$79.0 SEK 783

25.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$171 SEK 1,698

-43.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$664 SEK 6,583

48.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$564 SEK 5,585

15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,078 SEK 10.7K

83.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$946 SEK 9,373

24.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$2,898 SEK 28.7K

8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,466 SEK 24.4K

-27.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,479 SEK 24.6K

-51.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.22

869.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Karlskrona

$564 34.9% 13.3% $86

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Karlskrona

$358 22.2% 37.9% $99

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Karlskrona

$235 14.5% 5.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Karlskrona

$166 10.3% 27% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Karlskrona

$116 7.2% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Karlskrona

$74 4.6% 20.9% $20

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Karlskrona

$104 6.5% 35.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $664 in Karlskrona. 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 106% higher in Karlskrona, 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 $64.0 in Karlskrona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $358 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Karlskrona

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

35,212

💱 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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Between locations

Istanbul Karlskrona 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Karlskrona

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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlskrona is pricier by about 4%, 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 $2,425 in Karlskrona. 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 $159 in Karlskrona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Karlskrona, 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 Karlskrona at $1,617. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlskrona 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, Karlskrona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.