Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lidingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,837 in Lidingo, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Lidingo
Learn more

Lidingo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Lidingo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lidingo

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,837 in Lidingo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Lidingo $1,837

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,809 in Lidingo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Lidingo $2,809

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,780 in Lidingo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Lidingo $3,780

Istanbul is about 16% cheaper than Lidingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Lidingo sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Lidingo by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.96 SEK 138

-11.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$71.0 SEK 703

-22.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$11.31 SEK 112

-18.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.93 SEK 28.99

50.17%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.23 SEK 22.11

-24.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.55 SEK 25.25

-76.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.45 SEK 63.9

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.46 SEK 54.1

8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.41 SEK 13.96

-14.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.01 SEK 29.84

-70.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.52 SEK 34.87

-37.78%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.99 SEK 39.58

-41.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$12.06 SEK 119

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.87 SEK 128

-56.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$22.26 SEK 221

-5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.15 SEK 31.25

-39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.46 SEK 24.33

-6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.62 SEK 35.89

-64.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.48 SEK 44.43

-59.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.00 SEK 19.82

-67.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.84 SEK 18.22

-65.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.12 SEK 21.01

-41.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.50 SEK 14.89

-62.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.67 SEK 76.0

-69.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.48 SEK 134

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.36 SEK 13.44

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.18 SEK 21.62

59.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.23 SEK 31.98

-72.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$76.5 SEK 758

-11.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$3.42 SEK 33.88

-62.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.47 SEK 24.51

-62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$78.3 SEK 776

-86.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.72 SEK 17.06

-14.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.4K SEK 321.3K

56.61%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.3K SEK 330.0K

33.70%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$183 SEK 1,817

-51.67%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$22.03 SEK 218

-47.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$43.11 SEK 427

-63.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.31 SEK 370

106.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$26.15 SEK 259

-13.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.26 SEK 161

-49.94%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$151 SEK 1,499

566.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$4,992 SEK 49.5K

412.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$103 SEK 1,016

-47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$39.95 SEK 396

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$87.4 SEK 866

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$136 SEK 1,347

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$805 SEK 7,980

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$623 SEK 6,174

4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,320 SEK 13.1K

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,033 SEK 10.2K

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,954 SEK 39.2K

-20.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,818 SEK 27.9K

-36.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,491 SEK 24.7K

-51.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.53

1059.21%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lidingo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Lidingo

$623 33.9% 4.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Lidingo

$383 20.9% 47.6% $124

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Lidingo

$243 13.2% 8.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Lidingo

$165 9% 26% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Lidingo

$248 13.5% 114% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Lidingo

$70 3.8% 25.3% $24

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Lidingo

$105 5.7% 36.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $805 in Lidingo. 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 107% higher in Lidingo, 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 Lidingo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $383 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Lidingo

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

48,541

💱 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 Lidingo 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lidingo

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 Lidingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lidingo is pricier by about 19%, 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 $2,756 in Lidingo. 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 $151 in Lidingo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Lidingo, 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 Lidingo at $1,837. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lidingo 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, Lidingo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.