Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ostersund

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,729 in Ostersund, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Ostersund despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Ostersund
Learn more

Ostersund Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Ostersund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ostersund

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,729 in Ostersund, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Ostersund $1,729

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,687 in Ostersund, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Ostersund $2,687

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,644 in Ostersund, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Ostersund $3,644

Istanbul is about 10% cheaper than Ostersund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Ostersund sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Ostersund by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.35 SEK 132

-7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$75.1 SEK 744

-27.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$10.07 SEK 99.8

-8.44%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.53 SEK 44.86

-2.87%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.56 SEK 25.38

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.16 SEK 21.42

-72.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.97 SEK 69.0

-15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.43 SEK 14.16

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.94 SEK 29.16

-69.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.58 SEK 45.43

-52.18%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$3.22 SEK 31.91

-27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.29 SEK 132

-21.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.28 SEK 112

-49.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$14.94 SEK 148

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.11 SEK 40.73

-53.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.77 SEK 27.49

-16.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.53 SEK 34.95

-63.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.87 SEK 38.37

-53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.61 SEK 15.96

-59.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.55 SEK 15.38

-58.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.20 SEK 21.82

-43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.40 SEK 13.87

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.85 SEK 77.8

-69.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.11 SEK 100

32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.96 SEK 19.38

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.21 SEK 21.91

57.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.33 SEK 32.96

-73.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$76.5 SEK 758

-11.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.85 SEK 57.9

-77.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-45.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$58.8 SEK 583

-81.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-18.78%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.3K SEK 329.5K

52.70%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.1K SEK 317.8K

38.82%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$104 SEK 1,031

-14.85%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$23.74 SEK 235

-51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$38.74 SEK 384

-59.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$37.10 SEK 368

107.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$26.47 SEK 262

-14.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$14.80 SEK 147

-45.00%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$124 SEK 1,231

711.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

407.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$91.7 SEK 909

-41.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$40.11 SEK 397

1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$91.3 SEK 905

8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$138 SEK 1,366

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$803 SEK 7,957

22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$615 SEK 6,094

5.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,324 SEK 13.1K

49.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,013 SEK 10.0K

16.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$3,940 SEK 39.0K

-20.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,776 SEK 27.5K

-35.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.45

1086.09%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Ostersund

$615 35.6% 5.3% $35

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Ostersund

$355 20.5% 36.6% $95

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Ostersund

$259 15% 16.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Ostersund

$162 9.4% 24.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Ostersund

$167 9.6% 43.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Ostersund

$67 3.9% 28.6% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Ostersund

$104 6% 35.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $803 in Ostersund. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $75.0 in Ostersund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $355 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Ostersund

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

44,000

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ostersund 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ostersund

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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ostersund is pricier by about 12%, 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 $2,593 in Ostersund. 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 $124 in Ostersund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Ostersund, 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 Ostersund at $1,729. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostersund 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, Ostersund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.