Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,231 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Molde
Learn more

Molde Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Molde

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,231 in Molde, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Molde $2,231

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,464 in Molde, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Molde $3,464

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,697 in Molde, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Molde $4,697

Istanbul is about 31% cheaper than Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Molde sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Molde by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$17.10 NOK 161

-28.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$96.2 NOK 905

-43.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$13.25 NOK 125

-30.42%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.11 NOK 38.70

7.06%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.00 NOK 28.21

-44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.34 NOK 31.45

-82.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$12.71 NOK 120

-63.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$11.27 NOK 106

-47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.91 NOK 27.37

-58.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.17 NOK 39.22

-78.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.92 NOK 36.87

-44.13%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.24 NOK 49.35

-55.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$17.98 NOK 169

-42.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$15.75 NOK 148

-64.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.32 NOK 31.29

-42.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.10 NOK 29.20

-25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.10 NOK 29.16

-58.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.76 NOK 44.84

-62.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$2.45 NOK 23.05

-73.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$2.35 NOK 22.11

-72.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.73 NOK 25.66

-54.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$19.77 NOK 186

-88.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$23.12 NOK 218

-41.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$4.23 NOK 39.78

-43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$7.68 NOK 72.3

-54.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$5.02 NOK 47.24

-82.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$82.8 NOK 779

-18.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$15.41 NOK 145

-91.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.32 NOK 21.82

-36.64%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

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

$11.59 ₺574

$21.17 NOK 199

-45.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$84.9 NOK 800

-81.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$57.6 NOK 542

33.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$18.48 NOK 174

-55.95%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$207 NOK 1,953

385.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$108 NOK 1,021

-50.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$135 NOK 1,272

-26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$157 NOK 1,482

-38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,249 NOK 11.8K

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$977 NOK 9,199

-33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,854 NOK 17.5K

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,666 NOK 15.7K

-29.17%

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

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

-71.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.8

752.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Molde

$977 43.8% 50.4% $327

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Molde

$417 * 18.7% 60.7% $158

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Molde

$337 15.1% 51.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Molde

$180 * 8.1% 38.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Molde

$106 * 4.8% 8.5% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Molde

$95 4.2% 1.2% $1.1

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Molde

$118 * 5.3% 53.9% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,249 in Molde. 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 253% higher in Molde, 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 $96.0 in Molde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $417 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

17:37 5:37 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

32,920

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Molde 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Molde

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 Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Molde is pricier by about 44%, 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 $3,347 in Molde. 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 $207 in Molde. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Molde, 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 Molde at $2,231. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Molde 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, Molde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.