Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kirkjubaejarklaustur

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,714 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Kirkjubaejarklaustur despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kirkjubaejarklaustur
Learn more

Kirkjubaejarklaustur Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kirkjubaejarklaustur

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,714 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kirkjubaejarklaustur $1,714

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,914 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kirkjubaejarklaustur $2,914

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,114 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kirkjubaejarklaustur $4,114

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$31.33 ISK 3,800

-60.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,709

$121 ISK 14.7K

-54.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺457

$26.98 ISK 3,273

-65.83%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.75 ISK 818

-34.81%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.39 ISK 411

-50.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.41

$3.02 ISK 367

-80.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$13.79 ISK 1,673

-65.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺293

$12.07 ISK 1,464

-51.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.08 ISK 252

-41.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.11

$4.26 ISK 517

-79.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.54 ISK 430

-38.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$6.98 ISK 847

-66.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$21.64 ISK 2,624

-51.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$23.93 ISK 2,902

-76.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$41.22 ISK 5,000

-49.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.35 ISK 406

-43.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.84 ISK 345

-18.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

$3.24 ISK 393

-60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.66 ISK 807

-72.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.17

$3.88 ISK 470

-83.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.92

$1.71 ISK 208

-62.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$3.64 ISK 442

-65.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.59

$1.83 ISK 222

-69.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$13.73 ISK 1,665

-82.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$23.92 ISK 2,902

-43.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.65 ISK 443

-34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.34 ISK 405

4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,339

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.75 ISK 818

-80.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.71

$2.81 ISK 341

-67.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺543

$81.7 ISK 9,907

-86.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺73.0

$2.03 ISK 246

-27.59%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$51.1K ISK 6.2M

-0.66%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$54.3K ISK 6.6M

-18.00%

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

$88.6 ₺4,388

$94.9 ISK 11.5K

-6.67%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$32.23 ISK 3,909

-64.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$86.9 ISK 10.5K

-81.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,821

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$19.89 ISK 2,412

-59.07%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,184 ISK 143.6K

-14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

0.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,672

$147 ISK 17.9K

-63.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,022

$66.1 ISK 8,016

-38.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,897

$184 ISK 22.3K

-46.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,784

$248 ISK 30.1K

-61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.81

364.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kirkjubaejarklaustur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$618 36.1% 138% $358

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$531 31% 138% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$290 16.9% 122% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$214 12.5% 84.5% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$40 * 2.3% 57.4% $54

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kirkjubaejarklaustur

$21 * 1.2% 72.9% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $121 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $618 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇸 Kirkjubaejarklaustur

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

500

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 49.52 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.54 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kirkjubaejarklaustur 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kirkjubaejarklaustur

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 Kirkjubaejarklaustur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kirkjubaejarklaustur 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 $2,572 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $121 in Kirkjubaejarklaustur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 138% more in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, 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 Kirkjubaejarklaustur at $1,714. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kirkjubaejarklaustur 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, Kirkjubaejarklaustur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.