Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Trondheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $2,836 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
Learn more

Trondheim Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Trondheim

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $2,836 in Trondheim, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Trondheim $2,836

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $4,192 in Trondheim, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Trondheim $4,192

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $5,548 in Trondheim, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Trondheim $5,548

Istanbul is about 46% cheaper than Trondheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Trondheim sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Trondheim by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$20.83 NOK 199

-42.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$105 NOK 1,001

-47.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$15.41 NOK 147

-40.69%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$5.40 NOK 51.6

-21.48%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$5.72 NOK 54.7

-69.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$4.19 NOK 40.05

-87.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$13.00 NOK 124

-63.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$12.71 NOK 121

-53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$2.48 NOK 23.68

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$3.51 NOK 33.54

-72.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.66 NOK 34.94

-36.89%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$4.85 NOK 46.34

-49.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$12.86 NOK 123

-17.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$16.04 NOK 153

-65.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$31.35 NOK 299

-32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$3.95 NOK 37.71

-51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.81 NOK 26.81

-18.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.75 NOK 35.79

-65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$5.69 NOK 54.3

-67.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$2.88 NOK 27.46

-76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$3.05 NOK 29.16

-80.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.92 NOK 27.91

-54.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$2.23 NOK 21.27

-73.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$17.05 NOK 163

-86.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$18.35 NOK 175

-26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$3.61 NOK 34.49

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$4.49 NOK 42.89

-21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$4.67 NOK 44.57

-82.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$99.7 NOK 952

-33.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$9.12 NOK 87.1

-85.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.55 NOK 14.82

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$59.6 NOK 569

-81.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$2.44 NOK 23.28

-39.75%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$45.7K NOK 436.7K

12.90%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$44.1K NOK 420.7K

0.89%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$274 NOK 2,618

-67.46%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$34.85 NOK 333

-66.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$81.9 NOK 782

-80.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$43.04 NOK 411

79.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$39.57 NOK 378

-42.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$20.68 NOK 198

-59.67%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$291 NOK 2,776

235.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$4,315 NOK 41.2K

497.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$107 NOK 1,021

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$50.6 NOK 483

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$117 NOK 1,122

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$156 NOK 1,493

-38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$1,432 NOK 13.7K

-30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$1,121 NOK 10.7K

-43.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$2,196 NOK 21.0K

-7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,647 NOK 15.7K

-29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$6,325 NOK 60.4K

-50.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$5,083 NOK 48.5K

-63.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$4,213 NOK 40.2K

-71.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

5.32

672.37%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Trondheim

$1.1K 39.5% 78% $491

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Trondheim

$504 17.8% 90.8% $240

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Trondheim

$408 14.4% 87.1% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Trondheim

$194 6.8% 47.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Trondheim

$391 13.8% 234% $274

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Trondheim

$84 3% 10.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Trondheim

$135 4.8% 79.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $1,432 in Trondheim. 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 250% higher in Trondheim, 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 $105 in Trondheim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $504 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

10:48 10:48 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

215,121

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Trondheim 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Trondheim

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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Trondheim is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $4,254 in Trondheim. 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 $974 per month in Istanbul and $291 in Trondheim. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Trondheim, 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 $1,526, than in Trondheim at $2,836. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trondheim 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, Trondheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.