Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,896 in Tumba, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Tumba
Learn more

Tumba Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Tumba

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tumba

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,896 in Tumba, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Tumba $1,896

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $2,899 in Tumba, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Tumba $2,899

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $3,901 in Tumba, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Tumba $3,901

Istanbul is about 20% cheaper than Tumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Tumba sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Tumba by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$14.20 SEK 141

-18.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,724

$64.9 SEK 646

-15.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$9.95 SEK 99.0

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$4.29 SEK 42.71

-1.40%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$2.65 SEK 26.38

-35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.25

$2.21 SEK 22.03

-74.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$7.17 SEK 71.3

-35.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$6.91 SEK 68.7

-1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.79 SEK 17.78

-32.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.96

$3.05 SEK 30.39

-69.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$3.75 SEK 37.34

-40.27%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$5.03 SEK 50.1

-51.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$13.00 SEK 129

-21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$13.25 SEK 132

-59.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$17.49 SEK 174

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.2

$3.25 SEK 32.33

-41.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.68 SEK 26.70

-17.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$2.06 SEK 20.49

-38.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$4.50 SEK 44.81

-59.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.83

$1.45 SEK 14.43

-51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.12

$1.80 SEK 17.96

-64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$2.30 SEK 22.92

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$1.88 SEK 18.74

-70.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$7.15 SEK 71.2

-67.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$10.04 SEK 99.9

32.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.01 SEK 20.03

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.25 SEK 22.42

53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.17

$4.26 SEK 42.40

-78.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,305

$103 SEK 1,024

-35.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$5.79 SEK 57.6

-77.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.65

$1.48 SEK 14.70

-41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$57.1 SEK 569

-80.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.7

$1.81 SEK 18.03

-21.55%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$33.4K SEK 332.7K

47.12%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$34.0K SEK 338.0K

26.04%

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

$87.7 ₺4,371

$176 SEK 1,750

-50.09%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$21.42 SEK 213

-47.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$48.20 SEK 480

-67.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,782

$40.34 SEK 402

88.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$26.36 SEK 262

-12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$16.89 SEK 168

-51.45%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$158 SEK 1,572

550.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$5,131 SEK 51.1K

405.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,657

$113 SEK 1,125

-52.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$53.6 SEK 533

-25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,971

$94.8 SEK 943

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,659

$186 SEK 1,847

-49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$792 SEK 7,883

26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$599 SEK 5,966

4.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$1,375 SEK 13.7K

42.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$1,011 SEK 10.1K

10.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$3,992 SEK 39.7K

-22.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$2,784 SEK 27.7K

-37.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

2.8

1353.21%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tumba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Tumba

$599 31.6% 4.6% $29

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Tumba

$379 20% 46.7% $121

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Tumba

$264 13.9% 21.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Tumba

$201 10.6% 56.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Tumba

$245 12.9% 114% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Tumba

$74 3.9% 19.7% $18

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Tumba

$133 7% 76.2% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $792 in Tumba. 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 $55 in Istanbul versus $65 in Tumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $379 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Tumba

🕒 Local time

20:34 8:34 PM

18:34 6:34 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

42,344

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.82 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.46 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Tumba 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tumba

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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tumba is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $2,844 in Tumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tumba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $792 there versus $1,003 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $158 in Tumba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Tumba, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,516 in Istanbul and $1,896 in Tumba. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Istanbul has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,516 in Istanbul to $1,896 in Tumba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.