Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Vaxjo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,631 in Vaxjo, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. The total is higher in Vaxjo despite lower rent and utilities.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Vaxjo
Learn more

Vaxjo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Vaxjo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Vaxjo

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,631 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Vaxjo $1,631

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,467 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Vaxjo $2,467

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,303 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Vaxjo $3,303

Istanbul is about 5% cheaper than Vaxjo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Vaxjo sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Vaxjo by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.37 SEK 132

-8.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$63.6 SEK 630

-14.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.82 SEK 97.3

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.07 SEK 40.29

8.11%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.52 SEK 15.06

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$1.30 SEK 12.88

-54.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.70 SEK 66.4

-29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$6.40 SEK 63.4

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.74 SEK 17.25

-30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.49 SEK 24.64

-64.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.81 SEK 37.72

-42.52%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$4.56 SEK 45.18

-48.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.27 SEK 131

-21.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$10.55 SEK 105

-46.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.01 SEK 119

74.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.13 SEK 31.05

-39.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.00 SEK 19.83

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.04 SEK 20.24

-37.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.61 SEK 45.64

-60.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.40 SEK 13.90

-53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.55 SEK 15.39

-58.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.19 SEK 21.71

-42.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.37 SEK 13.54

-59.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.86 SEK 68.0

-65.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.62 SEK 75.5

76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.91 SEK 18.91

25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.56 SEK 15.45

123.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$3.17 SEK 31.38

-71.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$64.8 SEK 642

4.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-83.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.95 SEK 19.28

-52.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$78.8 SEK 780

-86.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.75 SEK 17.34

-16.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.7K SEK 324.5K

55.09%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.6K SEK 323.4K

36.41%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$90.1 SEK 893

-1.68%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$29.97 SEK 297

-61.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$30.98 SEK 307

-48.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$35.44 SEK 351

117.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.01 SEK 198

13.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$15.63 SEK 155

-47.92%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$150 SEK 1,483

573.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$97.6 SEK 967

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$30.45 SEK 302

34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$68.4 SEK 678

44.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$84.9 SEK 841

13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$794 SEK 7,867

24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$625 SEK 6,192

3.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,499 SEK 14.8K

32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$939 SEK 9,304

25.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$2,507 SEK 24.8K

-28.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,172 SEK 31.4K

-61.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.13

890.80%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Vaxjo

$625 38.3% 3.8% $25

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Vaxjo

$324 19.8% 24.6% $64

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Vaxjo

$243 14.9% 8.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Vaxjo

$127 7.8% 3.1% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Vaxjo

$151 9.3% 30.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Vaxjo

$67 4.1% 28.6% $27

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Vaxjo

$95 5.8% 23.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $794 in Vaxjo. 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 163% higher in Vaxjo, 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 $64.0 in Vaxjo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $324 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Vaxjo

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

55,600

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Vaxjo 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Vaxjo

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 Vaxjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vaxjo is pricier by about 5%, 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 $2,446 in Vaxjo. 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 $150 in Vaxjo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Vaxjo, 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 Vaxjo at $1,631. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vaxjo 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, Vaxjo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.