Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Lund

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,777 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
Learn more

Lund Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Lund

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,777 in Lund, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Lund $1,777

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,922 in Lund, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Lund $2,922

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $4,067 in Lund, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Lund $4,067

Istanbul is about 14% cheaper than Lund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Lund sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Lund by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$12.72 SEK 127

-6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$91.0 SEK 909

-39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$11.72 SEK 117

-22.01%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.60 SEK 46.01

-7.83%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$2.79 SEK 27.88

-37.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$2.07 SEK 20.65

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$8.18 SEK 81.7

-42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$6.79 SEK 67.9

-12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.63 SEK 16.28

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$2.55 SEK 25.47

-62.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.38 SEK 33.74

-31.66%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$4.57 SEK 45.63

-45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$12.53 SEK 125

-15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$11.84 SEK 118

-52.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$15.33 SEK 153

38.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.06 SEK 30.63

-36.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.58 SEK 25.82

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.83 SEK 28.26

-54.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.68 SEK 46.78

-60.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.70 SEK 16.98

-60.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.43 SEK 14.25

-58.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.55 SEK 25.50

-47.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$1.52 SEK 15.20

-61.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$8.10 SEK 81.0

-70.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$11.15 SEK 111

20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.85 SEK 18.50

30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.73 SEK 27.27

29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$3.28 SEK 32.79

-74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$63.3 SEK 632

5.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$5.08 SEK 50.7

-73.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.10 SEK 11.02

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$41.40 SEK 414

-73.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.80 SEK 17.97

-18.33%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$33.1K SEK 331.0K

55.86%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$32.8K SEK 328.1K

35.39%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$76.4 SEK 764

16.76%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$28.05 SEK 280

-58.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$41.33 SEK 413

-61.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$38.07 SEK 381

102.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$27.39 SEK 274

-17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$15.11 SEK 151

-44.80%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$157 SEK 1,571

519.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$78.5 SEK 785

-32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$56.6 SEK 566

-30.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$97.7 SEK 976

5.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$121 SEK 1,213

-20.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$826 SEK 8,255

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$672 SEK 6,716

-6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,697 SEK 17.0K

19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,365 SEK 13.6K

-15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$6,116 SEK 61.1K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$3,597 SEK 35.9K

-48.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$2,871 SEK 28.7K

-58.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

3.03

1256.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lund: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Lund

$672 38.3% 6.8% $43

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Lund

$355 20.3% 34.6% $91

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Lund

$266 15.2% 22.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Lund

$159 9.1% 21.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Lund

$146 8.3% 24.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Lund

$68 3.9% 27.3% $26

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Lund

$87 5% 15.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $826 in Lund. 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 139% higher in Lund, 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 $91.0 in Lund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $355 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Lund

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

82,800

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Lund 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Lund

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 Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lund is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,666 in Lund. 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 $974 per month in Istanbul and $157 in Lund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Lund, 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 $1,526, than in Lund at $1,777. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lund 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, Lund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.