Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sala

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Sala: $1,550 and $1,530 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
Learn more

Sala Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sala

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

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

Istanbul $1,550
Sala $1,530

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,260 in Sala, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Sala $2,260

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,989 in Sala, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Sala $2,989

Istanbul costs about 1% more than Sala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$11.75 SEK 116

4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$58.6 SEK 581

-6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.45 SEK 93.6

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.17 SEK 31.39

38.80%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.75 SEK 17.38

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.15 SEK 21.35

-72.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.94 SEK 68.7

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.93 SEK 68.7

-14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.66 SEK 16.45

-27.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.54 SEK 25.16

-64.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.48 SEK 34.45

-37.07%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.29 SEK 52.5

-55.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.10 SEK 110

-6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.95 SEK 128

-56.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$22.02 SEK 218

-4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.87 SEK 28.42

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.66 SEK 26.39

-13.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-50.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.79 SEK 47.50

-62.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.46 SEK 14.46

-55.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.14 SEK 11.29

-43.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.57 SEK 25.51

-51.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.01 SEK 10.02

-44.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-65.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.10 SEK 60.5

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.89 SEK 18.76

26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.76 SEK 17.47

97.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$2.90 SEK 28.75

-69.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$21.18 SEK 210

218.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.90 SEK 58.5

-78.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.69 SEK 16.73

-45.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$79.0 SEK 782

-86.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.73 SEK 17.13

-15.03%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.5K SEK 322.3K

56.12%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

34.56%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$177 SEK 1,752

-49.88%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$19.96 SEK 198

-41.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$38.76 SEK 384

-59.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$45.97 SEK 456

67.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.24 SEK 201

12.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.13 SEK 160

-49.54%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$213 SEK 2,111

373.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,194 SEK 11.8K

2041.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$44.45 SEK 440

21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$34.80 SEK 345

17.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$51.9 SEK 514

90.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$54.0 SEK 535

78.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$705 SEK 6,989

39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$501 SEK 4,966

29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$930 SEK 9,217

113.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$684 SEK 6,782

72.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,018 SEK 39.8K

-21.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,838 SEK 28.1K

-37.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$2,422 SEK 24.0K

-50.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.8

1361.43%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Sala

$501 32.8% 22.9% $149

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Sala

$360 23.5% 38.7% $100

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Sala

$225 14.7% 0.6% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Sala

$83 5.4% 36.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Sala

$236 15.4% 103% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Sala

$78 5.1% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Sala

$47 3.1% 38.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $705 in Sala. 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 101% higher in Sala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $59.0 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $360 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Sala

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

13:55 1:55 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

22,994

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Sala 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sala

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 1%, 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 $2,295 in Sala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sala, 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 $213 in Sala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,530, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sala – 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 Sala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.