Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,713 in Karlstad, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Karlstad despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
Learn more

Karlstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,713 in Karlstad, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Karlstad $1,713

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,643 in Karlstad, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Karlstad $2,643

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,572 in Karlstad, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Karlstad $3,572

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Karlstad sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Karlstad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$14.97 SEK 148

-17.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$78.2 SEK 775

-30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.80 SEK 47.60

-8.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.54 SEK 25.21

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.12 SEK 20.98

-72.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-38.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.45 SEK 63.9

-8.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.51 SEK 15.00

-19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.89 SEK 28.64

-69.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.68 SEK 36.48

-40.49%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.50 SEK 44.60

-47.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.84 SEK 97.5

5.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$14.17 SEK 140

-60.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.97 SEK 178

16.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.82 SEK 27.95

-32.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.64 SEK 26.12

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.09 SEK 30.57

-58.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.09 SEK 50.4

-64.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.91 SEK 18.88

-65.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.67 SEK 16.58

-61.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.61 SEK 25.90

-52.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.31 SEK 12.95

-57.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.89 SEK 68.3

-65.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$9.86 SEK 97.7

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.37 SEK 23.46

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.09 SEK 20.69

66.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.16 SEK 31.32

-71.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$79.9 SEK 792

-15.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.42 SEK 53.7

-76.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.33 SEK 13.16

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$61.5 SEK 609

-82.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.77 SEK 17.50

-16.95%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.2K SEK 319.4K

57.55%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.7K SEK 323.8K

36.24%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$101 SEK 1,001

-12.31%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$15.82 SEK 157

-26.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$44.59 SEK 442

-64.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$44.52 SEK 441

73.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$16.95 SEK 168

34.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$13.91 SEK 138

-41.48%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$123 SEK 1,223

716.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$105 SEK 1,039

-48.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$38.98 SEK 386

4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$73.5 SEK 728

34.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$142 SEK 1,403

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$834 SEK 8,264

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$567 SEK 5,617

14.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,154 SEK 11.4K

71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$861 SEK 8,528

37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,710 SEK 36.8K

-15.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,794 SEK 27.7K

-36.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

-62.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.8

976.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Karlstad

$567 33.1% 12.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Karlstad

$370 21.6% 42.4% $110

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Karlstad

$276 16.1% 23.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 23.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 39.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Karlstad

$72 4.2% 22.6% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 36.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $834 in Karlstad. 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 167% higher in Karlstad, 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 $78.0 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $370 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

18:55 6:55 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

62,797

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Karlstad 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlstad is pricier by about 11%, 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 $2,569 in Karlstad. 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 $123 in Karlstad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Karlstad, 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 Karlstad at $1,713. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlstad 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, Karlstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.