Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Varberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,525 a month against $1,648 in Varberg, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Varberg despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
Learn more

Varberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Varberg

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $1,648 in Varberg, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Varberg $1,648

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $2,641 in Varberg, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Varberg $2,641

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $3,635 in Varberg, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Varberg $3,635

Istanbul is about 7% cheaper than Varberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Varberg sit above the global median – Istanbul by 13%, Varberg by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$15.26 SEK 151

-21.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$75.9 SEK 752

-24.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$10.34 SEK 102

-8.03%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$3.80 SEK 37.70

15.79%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$1.13 SEK 11.16

54.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$1.05 SEK 10.40

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$6.17 SEK 61.1

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$7.75 SEK 76.8

-20.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.50 SEK 14.85

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$2.88 SEK 28.58

-67.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$3.46 SEK 34.30

-34.10%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$4.11 SEK 40.72

-40.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$13.20 SEK 131

-20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$11.23 SEK 111

-51.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$20.15 SEK 200

7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$2.93 SEK 28.99

-37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.49 SEK 24.62

-8.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$3.09 SEK 30.60

-58.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$4.23 SEK 41.89

-56.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.55 SEK 15.36

-57.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$1.56 SEK 15.46

-59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$2.57 SEK 25.43

-50.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$1.04 SEK 10.28

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$6.66 SEK 66.0

-64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$10.21 SEK 101

27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.96 SEK 19.46

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$1.24 SEK 12.32

182.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$2.86 SEK 28.38

-71.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$78.1 SEK 774

-16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$5.15 SEK 51.0

-74.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$2.40 SEK 23.75

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$49.91 SEK 495

-78.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-20.99%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$33.4K SEK 331.0K

48.40%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$34.4K SEK 341.0K

25.51%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$140 SEK 1,390

-36.70%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$19.77 SEK 196

-40.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$30.07 SEK 298

-46.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$39.66 SEK 393

92.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$40.53 SEK 402

-43.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$16.16 SEK 160

-48.89%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$152 SEK 1,505

568.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$3,359 SEK 33.3K

669.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$70.7 SEK 700

-24.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$40.44 SEK 401

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$113 SEK 1,115

-11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$151 SEK 1,498

-38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$791 SEK 7,839

23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$500 SEK 4,956

25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$1,195 SEK 11.8K

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$924 SEK 9,152

24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$6,614 SEK 65.5K

-53.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$3,563 SEK 35.3K

-49.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$3,170 SEK 31.4K

-61.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

1.9

2041.58%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Varberg

$500 30.4% 20.2% $127

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Varberg

$357 21.6% 35.8% $94

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Varberg

$254 15.4% 14.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Varberg

$169 10.2% 30.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Varberg

$190 11.5% 63.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Varberg

$72 4.4% 22.4% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Varberg

$107 6.5% 43.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $791 in Varberg. 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 161% higher in Varberg, 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $76.0 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $357 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Varberg

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

11:03 11:03 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

27,602

💱 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 25, 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 25, 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Varberg 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Varberg

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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Varberg is pricier by about 8%, 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 $2,472 in Varberg. 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 $152 in Varberg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Varberg, 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 Varberg at $1,648. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varberg 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, Varberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.