Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Uppsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,978 in Uppsala, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Uppsala
Learn more

Uppsala Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Uppsala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Uppsala

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,978 in Uppsala, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Uppsala $1,978

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $3,051 in Uppsala, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Uppsala $3,051

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $4,124 in Uppsala, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Uppsala $4,124

Istanbul is about 22% cheaper than Uppsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Uppsala sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Uppsala by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$14.90 SEK 148

-17.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$81.0 SEK 802

-32.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.87 SEK 97.8

-6.59%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.98 SEK 49.39

-11.65%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$3.05 SEK 30.25

-44.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.40 SEK 23.74

-75.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$7.96 SEK 78.9

-40.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$9.87 SEK 97.8

-40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.81 SEK 17.91

-33.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.78 SEK 27.57

-67.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$4.59 SEK 45.48

-52.29%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.05 SEK 50.1

-53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.12 SEK 100

2.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$14.77 SEK 146

-61.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$17.86 SEK 177

17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$4.18 SEK 41.42

-54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.49 SEK 34.63

-63.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$5.12 SEK 50.7

-64.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.94 SEK 19.20

-66.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-62.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.64 SEK 26.21

-52.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.28 SEK 12.68

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.96 SEK 78.9

-70.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$9.91 SEK 98.2

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.47 SEK 24.51

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.52 SEK 24.94

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.92 SEK 38.80

-77.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$111 SEK 1,103

-39.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$5.33 SEK 52.8

-75.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.32 SEK 13.13

-30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$61.3 SEK 607

-82.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.77 SEK 17.54

-16.95%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.2K SEK 329.1K

52.90%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.1K SEK 318.3K

38.60%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$109 SEK 1,077

-18.50%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$15.95 SEK 158

-27.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$47.42 SEK 470

-66.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$39.13 SEK 388

97.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$23.27 SEK 231

-2.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$18.61 SEK 184

-56.26%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$126 SEK 1,248

700.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$105 SEK 1,037

-48.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$48.48 SEK 480

-15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$94.4 SEK 935

4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$200 SEK 1,982

-51.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$892 SEK 8,836

10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$707 SEK 7,009

-8.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,750 SEK 17.3K

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,138 SEK 11.3K

3.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$5,186 SEK 51.4K

-39.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,595 SEK 25.7K

-31.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,008 SEK 29.8K

-59.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.8

976.84%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Uppsala

$707 35.8% 8.9% $58

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Uppsala

$391 19.8% 50.7% $132

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Uppsala

$290 14.7% 29.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Uppsala

$201 10.2% 54.2% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Uppsala

$172 8.7% 48.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Uppsala

$76 3.9% 18.3% $17

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Uppsala

$139 7% 80.7% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $892 in Uppsala. 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 150% higher in Uppsala, 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 $81.0 in Uppsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $391 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Uppsala

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

166,698

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Uppsala 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Uppsala

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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Uppsala is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,966 in Uppsala. 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 $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $126 in Uppsala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Uppsala, 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 $1,550, than in Uppsala at $1,978. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uppsala 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, Uppsala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.