Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mölndal

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Mölndal: $1,525 and $1,561 a month, rent and utilities included.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mölndal
Learn more

Mölndal Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Mölndal

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mölndal

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,561 in Mölndal, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Mölndal $1,561

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,491 in Mölndal, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Mölndal $2,491

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,422 in Mölndal, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Mölndal $3,422

Istanbul is about 2% cheaper than Mölndal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Istanbul and Mölndal sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Mölndal by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$12.86 SEK 127

-7.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$71.7 SEK 710

-20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$11.07 SEK 110

-14.09%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.94 SEK 48.94

-10.93%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$2.97 SEK 29.42

-41.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.99 SEK 9.80

-43.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$7.17 SEK 71.0

-34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$5.92 SEK 58.6

3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.13 SEK 11.22

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$1.49 SEK 14.76

-36.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$3.24 SEK 32.10

-29.63%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$3.58 SEK 35.50

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$7.02 SEK 69.5

50.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$9.17 SEK 90.8

-40.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$16.38 SEK 162

32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.09 SEK 30.62

-40.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.49 SEK 24.71

-8.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$2.85 SEK 28.20

-55.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$4.45 SEK 44.11

-59.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.57 SEK 15.55

-57.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.64 SEK 16.29

-61.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$1.85 SEK 18.31

-31.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.20 SEK 11.90

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$7.23 SEK 71.7

-67.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$9.90 SEK 98.1

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.98 SEK 19.58

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$2.17 SEK 21.50

61.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$3.56 SEK 35.27

-76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$83.4 SEK 826

-21.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$6.30 SEK 62.4

-78.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.66 SEK 16.50

-45.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$60.1 SEK 595

-81.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.74 SEK 17.26

-17.82%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$33.5K SEK 332.1K

47.90%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$33.3K SEK 330.0K

29.67%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$42.67 SEK 423

108.04%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$10.22 SEK 101

14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$20.43 SEK 202

-21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$40.48 SEK 401

88.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$28.18 SEK 279

-19.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$18.01 SEK 178

-54.14%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$220 SEK 2,177

361.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$4,389 SEK 43.5K

488.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$89.5 SEK 887

-40.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$33.26 SEK 330

21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$70.2 SEK 696

42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$135 SEK 1,341

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$812 SEK 8,041

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$595 SEK 5,891

5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,295 SEK 12.8K

52.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,038 SEK 10.3K

10.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$4,108 SEK 40.7K

-24.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$2,786 SEK 27.6K

-35.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.06

1229.74%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mölndal: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Mölndal

$595 38.1% 5.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Mölndal

$297 19.1% 13.3% $35

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Mölndal

$259 16.6% 16.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Mölndal

$148 9.5% 14.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Mölndal

$73 4.7% 37.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Mölndal

$77 4.9% 17.5% $16

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Mölndal

$112 7.2% 51% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $812 in Mölndal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $72.0 in Mölndal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $297 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Mölndal

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

60,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Mölndal 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mölndal

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 Mölndal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mölndal is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,341 in Mölndal. 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 $220 in Mölndal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Mölndal, 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 Mölndal at $1,561. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mölndal 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, Mölndal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.