Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Stokmarknes

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $2,652 in Stokmarknes, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Stokmarknes
Learn more

Stokmarknes Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Stokmarknes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Stokmarknes

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $2,652 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Stokmarknes $2,652

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $4,015 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Stokmarknes $4,015

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $5,378 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Stokmarknes $5,378

Istanbul is about 43% cheaper than Stokmarknes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Stokmarknes sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Stokmarknes by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$20.63 NOK 194

-42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$103 NOK 968

-44.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$15.80 NOK 149

-39.81%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$5.38 NOK 50.6

-18.22%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$3.98 NOK 37.43

-56.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$3.18 NOK 29.93

-82.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$11.81 NOK 111

-60.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$10.36 NOK 97.5

-40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$2.47 NOK 23.27

-49.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$3.55 NOK 33.41

-73.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$3.87 NOK 36.44

-41.09%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$4.76 NOK 44.83

-48.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$13.04 NOK 123

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$15.20 NOK 143

-63.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$31.03 NOK 292

-30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$3.27 NOK 30.75

-44.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.58 NOK 24.26

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$3.51 NOK 33.04

-63.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$4.77 NOK 44.90

-61.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$2.59 NOK 24.40

-74.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$2.88 NOK 27.13

-78.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$3.02 NOK 28.44

-57.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$2.33 NOK 21.90

-75.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$17.47 NOK 164

-86.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$16.55 NOK 156

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$3.49 NOK 32.83

-28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$4.20 NOK 39.57

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$4.62 NOK 43.50

-82.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$86.0 NOK 810

-24.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$12.01 NOK 113

-88.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$1.86 NOK 17.47

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$69.1 NOK 650

-84.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$2.33 NOK 21.93

-38.63%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$48.7K NOK 458.2K

1.83%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$42.8K NOK 402.7K

0.97%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$271 NOK 2,554

-67.28%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$33.47 NOK 315

-65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$54.3 NOK 511

-70.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$49.46 NOK 466

54.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$36.68 NOK 345

-38.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$17.21 NOK 162

-52.00%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$234 NOK 2,204

333.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

99.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$99.7 NOK 938

-46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$56.7 NOK 534

-28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$126 NOK 1,187

-20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$155 NOK 1,461

-39.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$1,206 NOK 11.4K

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$1,016 NOK 9,563

-38.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,973 NOK 18.6K

0.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-32.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$6,221 NOK 58.6K

-50.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$4,109 NOK 38.7K

-56.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

4.94

723.68%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Stokmarknes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Stokmarknes

$1K 38.3% 62% $389

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Stokmarknes

$485 18.3% 84.8% $223

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Stokmarknes

$385 14.5% 73.5% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Stokmarknes

$197 7.4% 52.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Stokmarknes

$359 13.5% 208% $243

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Stokmarknes

$84 3.2% 9.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Stokmarknes

$126 4.7% 69.3% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $1,206 in Stokmarknes. 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 $103 in Stokmarknes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $485 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Stokmarknes

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

3,300

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Stokmarknes 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Stokmarknes

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 Stokmarknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stokmarknes is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $3,978 in Stokmarknes. 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 $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $234 in Stokmarknes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Stokmarknes, 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 $1,525, than in Stokmarknes at $2,652. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stokmarknes 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, Stokmarknes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.