Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Roskilde

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,530 in Roskilde, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Roskilde
Learn more

Roskilde Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Roskilde

🇩🇰 Denmark

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Roskilde

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,530 in Roskilde, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Roskilde $2,530

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,882 in Roskilde, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Roskilde $3,882

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $5,233 in Roskilde, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Roskilde $5,233

Istanbul is about 39% cheaper than Roskilde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Roskilde sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Roskilde by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$18.05 DKK 120

-31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$112 DKK 742

-50.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$15.03 DKK 100.0

-38.66%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$6.93 DKK 46.06

-36.51%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$4.07 DKK 27.04

-58.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$3.33 DKK 22.15

-82.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$8.17 DKK 54.3

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$8.38 DKK 55.7

-29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$2.04 DKK 13.55

-40.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$3.76 DKK 25.03

-76.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$2.40 DKK 15.95

-8.75%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.89 DKK 32.53

-51.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.12 DKK 93.9

-26.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$11.50 DKK 76.5

-50.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.93 DKK 119

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.65 DKK 17.62

-28.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.78 DKK 18.46

-16.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.07 DKK 13.79

-38.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.01 DKK 26.64

-55.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.75 DKK 11.61

-62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.38 DKK 9.18

-53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$1.45 DKK 9.66

-13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.64 DKK 4.25

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$8.70 DKK 57.9

-72.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.55 DKK 50.2

77.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.99 DKK 13.22

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.68 DKK 17.82

29.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$75.9 DKK 505

-11.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.70 DKK 37.94

-77.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.68 DKK 11.19

-45.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$61.9 DKK 412

-82.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$2.27 DKK 15.09

-35.24%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$49.5K DKK 329.0K

2.66%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$52.7K DKK 350.6K

-15.53%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$216 DKK 1,436

-58.95%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$15.77 DKK 105

-26.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$43.29 DKK 288

-63.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$60.4 DKK 402

27.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.22 DKK 108

-49.82%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$374 DKK 2,488

169.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,075 DKK 40.4K

320.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$106 DKK 704

-49.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$45.94 DKK 306

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$151 DKK 1,004

-34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$187 DKK 1,243

-48.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$1,280 DKK 8,513

-23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$1,141 DKK 7,590

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,560 DKK 17.0K

-22.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,991 DKK 13.2K

-40.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$6,477 DKK 43.1K

-51.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$5,960 DKK 39.6K

-70.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$4,095 DKK 27.2K

-70.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.67

1014.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Roskilde: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Roskilde

$1.1K 45.1% 75.6% $491

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Roskilde

$351 13.9% 35.1% $91

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Roskilde

$360 14.2% 61.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Roskilde

$220 8.7% 68.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Roskilde

$275 10.9% 137% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Roskilde

$93 3.7% 0.6% $0.6

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Roskilde

$90 * 3.6% 17.1% $13

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 $1,280 in Roskilde. 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 240% higher in Roskilde, 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 $112 in Roskilde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $351 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇩🇰 Roskilde

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

50,781

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Roskilde 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Roskilde

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 Roskilde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Roskilde is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,795 in Roskilde. 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 $374 in Roskilde. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Roskilde, 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 Roskilde at $2,530. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roskilde 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, Roskilde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.