Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kiruna

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,747 in Kiruna, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Kiruna despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Kiruna
Learn more

Kiruna Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Kiruna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kiruna

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,747 in Kiruna, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Kiruna $1,747

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,915 in Kiruna, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Kiruna $2,915

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $4,082 in Kiruna, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Kiruna $4,082

Istanbul is about 13% cheaper than Kiruna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Kiruna sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Kiruna by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$13.82 SEK 137

-13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$128 SEK 1,270

-55.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$10.40 SEK 103

-8.56%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.33 SEK 42.90

1.62%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$2.69 SEK 26.70

-34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$2.26 SEK 22.37

-75.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$9.54 SEK 94.5

-50.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$6.59 SEK 65.3

-6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.45 SEK 14.34

-14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$2.80 SEK 27.79

-66.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$3.72 SEK 36.83

-38.71%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$3.55 SEK 35.18

-30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$12.29 SEK 122

-14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$13.80 SEK 137

-60.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$19.62 SEK 194

10.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$2.79 SEK 27.66

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.53 SEK 25.12

-9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.61 SEK 25.90

-50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$4.40 SEK 43.63

-58.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.47 SEK 14.58

-55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.59 SEK 15.77

-60.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$2.01 SEK 19.93

-36.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.56 SEK 15.46

-64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$6.46 SEK 64.0

-63.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$9.69 SEK 96.1

33.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.98 SEK 19.65

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$1.99 SEK 19.75

75.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$3.22 SEK 31.95

-74.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$79.4 SEK 787

-17.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$5.85 SEK 57.9

-77.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.68 SEK 16.68

-46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$56.9 SEK 563

-80.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.11 SEK 20.90

-32.23%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$31.3K SEK 310.1K

58.37%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$33.3K SEK 329.6K

29.85%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$95.9 SEK 951

-7.47%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$24.86 SEK 246

-52.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$35.94 SEK 356

-55.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$37.74 SEK 374

102.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$25.04 SEK 248

-9.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$15.92 SEK 158

-48.12%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$152 SEK 1,506

567.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,610 SEK 55.6K

360.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$100 SEK 993

-46.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$44.87 SEK 445

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$81.8 SEK 810

22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$139 SEK 1,378

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$812 SEK 8,047

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$610 SEK 6,043

2.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,363 SEK 13.5K

45.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,123 SEK 11.1K

2.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$3,456 SEK 34.2K

-10.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$2,527 SEK 25.0K

-29.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$3,257 SEK 32.3K

-62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

917.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Kiruna

$610 34.9% 2.7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Kiruna

$366 20.9% 39.3% $103

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Kiruna

$274 15.7% 23.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Kiruna

$165 9.4% 27.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Kiruna

$157 9% 34.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Kiruna

$70 4% 25% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Kiruna

$107 6.1% 43.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $812 in Kiruna. 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 169% higher in Kiruna, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $128 in Kiruna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $366 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Kiruna

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

22,454

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Kiruna 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kiruna

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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kiruna is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,621 in Kiruna. 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 $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $152 in Kiruna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Kiruna, 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 $1,525, than in Kiruna at $1,747. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna 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, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.