Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Njardvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,163 in Njardvik, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Njardvik
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Njardvik Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Njardvik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Njardvik

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $3,163 in Njardvik, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Njardvik $3,163

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $4,909 in Njardvik, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Njardvik $4,909

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $6,655 in Njardvik, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Njardvik $6,655

Istanbul is about 51% cheaper than Njardvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Njardvik sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Njardvik by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$24.17 ISK 2,931

-49.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$99.6 ISK 12.1K

-45.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$16.52 ISK 2,004

-44.19%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.53 ISK 792

-32.62%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.66 ISK 201

1.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.44 ISK 296

-75.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$10.48 ISK 1,271

-55.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$12.48 ISK 1,514

-52.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.08 ISK 252

-41.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$4.27 ISK 518

-79.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.70 ISK 449

-40.81%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$6.97 ISK 846

-66.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$22.09 ISK 2,679

-52.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$24.52 ISK 2,974

-76.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$42.22 ISK 5,120

-50.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.40 ISK 412

-44.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.85 ISK 346

-18.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.31 ISK 402

-61.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$6.37 ISK 773

-71.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$3.84 ISK 465

-83.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.72 ISK 208

-62.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$3.68 ISK 446

-66.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.83 ISK 222

-69.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$13.68 ISK 1,659

-82.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$24.04 ISK 2,916

-44.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$3.59 ISK 435

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.46 ISK 420

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$6.78 ISK 823

-80.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.86 ISK 346

-67.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$80.3 ISK 9,741

-86.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.01 ISK 244

-26.87%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-0.02%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-15.46%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$96.5 ISK 11.7K

-8.18%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$32.65 ISK 3,960

-64.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$86.1 ISK 10.4K

-81.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$82.7 ISK 10.0K

-6.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$19.52 ISK 2,368

-58.30%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$1,187 ISK 144.0K

-15.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$124 ISK 15.0K

-56.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$65.3 ISK 7,916

-37.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$183 ISK 22.2K

-45.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$249 ISK 30.2K

-61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,485 ISK 180.1K

-56.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$2,716 ISK 329.4K

-56.55%

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

$4,052 ISK 491.4K

-70.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.81

364.47%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Njardvik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Njardvik

$1.5K 47% 129% $835

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Njardvik

$625 19.8% 141% $366

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Njardvik

$415 13.1% 85.9% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Njardvik

$280 8.8% 114% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Njardvik

$215 6.8% 85.5% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Njardvik

$122 3.9% 30.3% $28

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Njardvik

$21 * 0.7% 72.6% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 236% higher in Njardvik, 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 $100 in Njardvik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $625 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇸 Njardvik

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

3 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

6,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Njardvik 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Njardvik

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 Njardvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Njardvik is pricier by about 104%, 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 $4,744 in Njardvik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $100 in Njardvik. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 141% more in Njardvik, 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 Njardvik at $3,163. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Njardvik 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, Njardvik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.