Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sollefteå

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,766 in Sollefteå, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Sollefteå
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,766
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sollefteå

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,766 in Sollefteå, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Sollefteå $1,766

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,739 in Sollefteå, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Sollefteå $2,739

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,712 in Sollefteå, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Sollefteå $3,712

Istanbul is about 14% cheaper than Sollefteå, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Sollefteå sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Sollefteå by 30%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺592
$13.84 SEK 137
-13.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,834
$75.8 SEK 751
-24.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺471
$9.71 SEK 96.2
-2.06%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$4.34 SEK 42.97
1.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.6
$2.56 SEK 25.36
-31.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.57
$2.26 SEK 22.38
-75.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺233
$6.09 SEK 60.3
-22.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺304
$7.65 SEK 75.8
-19.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.6
$1.64 SEK 16.24
-24.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.25
$2.83 SEK 28.06
-66.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$3.43 SEK 34.02
-33.53%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺121
$3.64 SEK 36.05
-32.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺523
$13.82 SEK 137
-23.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺272
$12.25 SEK 121
-55.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,072
$17.72 SEK 176
22.18%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺90.6
$3.37 SEK 33.37
-45.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$2.34 SEK 23.14
-2.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.4
$2.93 SEK 29.03
-56.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.1
$4.97 SEK 49.25
-63.38%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.74
$1.68 SEK 16.63
-60.71%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.14
$1.47 SEK 14.58
-57.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺62.8
$2.21 SEK 21.94
-42.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.62
$1.34 SEK 13.24
-58.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$6.14 SEK 60.8
-61.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺642
$9.27 SEK 91.9
40.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$1.71 SEK 16.91
45.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$2.45 SEK 24.30
42.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.77
$3.13 SEK 31.06
-73.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,228
$89.2 SEK 884
-26.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺65.7
$5.95 SEK 59.0
-77.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.60
$1.75 SEK 17.32
-48.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺540
$55.0 SEK 544
-80.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺70.7
$1.86 SEK 18.43
-23.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$29.5K SEK 292.0K
68.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$30.8K SEK 305.1K
40.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,395
$105 SEK 1,042
-15.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺579
$25.60 SEK 254
-54.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺797
$39.21 SEK 389
-58.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,776
$43.48 SEK 431
75.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,125
$29.73 SEK 295
-23.58%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺409
$14.95 SEK 148
-44.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.2K
$169 SEK 1,671
501.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$5,261 SEK 52.1K
391.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,636
$97.7 SEK 968
-45.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,008
$40.96 SEK 406
-1.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,956
$92.3 SEK 914
8.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,630
$152 SEK 1,510
-38.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.4K
$861 SEK 8,535
13.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.0K
$616 SEK 6,099
1.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.0K
$1,343 SEK 13.3K
47.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺56.8K
$987 SEK 9,781
16.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺153.2K
$3,764 SEK 37.3K
-17.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.5K
$2,492 SEK 24.7K
-28.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Sollefteå
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
3.37
1107.42%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sollefteå: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Sollefteå
$616 1.8% $11
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Sollefteå
$361 37.5% $99
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Sollefteå
$257 15.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Sollefteå
$173 33.4% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Sollefteå
$170 45.8% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Sollefteå
$73 20.9% $19
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Sollefteå
$116 56.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $861 in Sollefteå. 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $76.0 in Sollefteå. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $361 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇸🇪 Sollefteå
🕒 Local time
00:24 12:24 AM
23:24 11:24 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
18,673
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 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 Sollefteå 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Sollefteå

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 Sollefteå: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sollefteå cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Sollefteå is pricier by about 16%, 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 $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $2,649 in Sollefteå. 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 $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $169 in Sollefteå. 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 Sollefteå?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Sollefteå, 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 Sollefteå?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,525, than in Sollefteå at $1,766. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sollefteå it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Sollefteå 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 Sollefteå?
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, Sollefteå makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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