Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sodertalje

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,203 in Sodertalje, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Sodertalje
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,203
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sodertalje

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $2,203 in Sodertalje, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Sodertalje $2,203

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,329 in Sodertalje, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Sodertalje $3,329

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,455 in Sodertalje, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Sodertalje $4,455

Istanbul is about 30% cheaper than Sodertalje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Sodertalje sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Sodertalje by 63%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$13.67 SEK 135
-10.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$63.6 SEK 630
-13.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$9.93 SEK 98.4
-7.15%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.34 SEK 43.01
1.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$2.46 SEK 24.35
-31.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$2.01 SEK 19.94
-70.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$7.05 SEK 69.8
-33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$6.35 SEK 62.9
-6.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.77 SEK 17.52
-31.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$3.08 SEK 30.49
-71.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$5.58 SEK 55.3
-60.75%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$5.33 SEK 52.8
-55.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$13.20 SEK 131
-21.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$12.84 SEK 127
-56.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$17.19 SEK 170
21.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$3.10 SEK 30.72
-38.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.57 SEK 25.49
-10.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$2.02 SEK 20.00
-36.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$4.76 SEK 47.15
-62.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.42 SEK 14.08
-54.23%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.70 SEK 16.85
-62.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$2.20 SEK 21.77
-43.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$1.82 SEK 18.05
-69.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$7.03 SEK 69.6
-66.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$9.69 SEK 96.0
38.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.95 SEK 19.33
23.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.25 SEK 22.30
54.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$3.94 SEK 38.99
-77.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$111 SEK 1,099
-39.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$13.12 SEK 130
-90.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$2.02 SEK 20.05
-54.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$79.0 SEK 783
-86.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.69 SEK 16.71
-13.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$32.3K SEK 320.1K
57.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$32.5K SEK 322.3K
36.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$172 SEK 1,707
-48.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$29.93 SEK 297
-61.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$46.17 SEK 457
-65.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$32.55 SEK 323
137.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$16.05 SEK 159
-49.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$216 SEK 2,144
365.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$98.3 SEK 974
-45.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$52.8 SEK 523
-22.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$93.1 SEK 923
6.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$212 SEK 2,097
-54.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$1,062 SEK 10.5K
-7.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$896 SEK 8,878
-27.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$2,003 SEK 19.8K
-1.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$1,573 SEK 15.6K
-24.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$3,987 SEK 39.5K
-21.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$3,549 SEK 35.2K
-49.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Sodertalje
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$3,038 SEK 30.1K
-60.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
4.87
740.25%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sodertalje: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Sodertalje
$896 37.9% $246
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Sodertalje
$382 47.2% $123
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Sodertalje
$257 15.1% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Sodertalje
$205 57.1% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Sodertalje
$248 114% $132
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Sodertalje
$65 30.8% $29
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Sodertalje
$150 94.9% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $1,062 in Sodertalje. 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 152% higher in Sodertalje, 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 $64.0 in Sodertalje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $382 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇸🇪 Sodertalje
🕒 Local time
14:55 2:55 PM
13:55 1:55 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
64,619
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Sodertalje 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Sodertalje

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 Sodertalje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodertalje cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Sodertalje is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $3,305 in Sodertalje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $216 in Sodertalje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Sodertalje?
Groceries cost about 47% more in Sodertalje, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Sodertalje?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Sodertalje at $2,203. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sodertalje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Sodertalje more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Sodertalje?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sodertalje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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