Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ystad

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,646 in Ystad, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Ystad
Learn more

Ystad Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Ystad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ystad

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,646 in Ystad, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Ystad $1,646

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $2,592 in Ystad, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Ystad $2,592

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $3,538 in Ystad, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Ystad $3,538

Istanbul is about 8% cheaper than Ystad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Ystad sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Ystad by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$12.15 SEK 121

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,724

$86.1 SEK 857

-36.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$10.23 SEK 102

-8.21%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.06 SEK 30.48

38.24%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$2.98 SEK 29.66

-42.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.25

$2.27 SEK 22.57

-74.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$6.99 SEK 69.6

-33.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$7.39 SEK 73.5

-7.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.0

$1.71 SEK 16.98

-29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.96

$2.80 SEK 27.86

-66.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$3.15 SEK 31.31

-28.89%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$3.10 SEK 30.82

-21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$11.51 SEK 115

-11.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$8.84 SEK 88.0

-39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,056

$16.46 SEK 164

28.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.2

$2.99 SEK 29.76

-36.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$2.44 SEK 24.32

-9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$2.93 SEK 29.20

-57.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.0

$4.52 SEK 44.94

-59.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.83

$1.54 SEK 15.36

-54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.12

$1.70 SEK 16.87

-62.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$1.96 SEK 19.46

-37.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.35

$1.66 SEK 16.50

-66.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$8.19 SEK 81.5

-71.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$12.05 SEK 120

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$2.05 SEK 20.39

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.28 SEK 22.73

51.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.17

$3.36 SEK 33.42

-72.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,305

$79.1 SEK 787

-16.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.2

$6.05 SEK 60.2

-78.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.65

$1.74 SEK 17.31

-50.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺553

$59.2 SEK 589

-81.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.7

$1.77 SEK 17.61

-19.77%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$29.9K SEK 297.7K

64.43%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$33.3K SEK 331.4K

28.54%

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

$87.7 ₺4,371

$105 SEK 1,044

-16.35%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$19.69 SEK 196

-42.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺792

$30.14 SEK 300

-47.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,782

$37.44 SEK 373

102.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,148

$26.36 SEK 262

-12.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺409

$12.15 SEK 121

-32.51%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$180 SEK 1,789

471.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$4,351 SEK 43.3K

496.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,657

$51.3 SEK 510

4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,978

$33.38 SEK 332

18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,971

$87.4 SEK 870

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,659

$133 SEK 1,328

-29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

$792 SEK 7,883

26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

$612 SEK 6,096

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.8K

$1,354 SEK 13.5K

45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

$1,023 SEK 10.2K

9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.2K

$4,023 SEK 40.0K

-23.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

$2,767 SEK 27.5K

-36.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.8K

$1,881 SEK 18.7K

-37.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

3.06

1229.74%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ystad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Ystad

$612 37.2% 2.5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Ystad

$337 20.5% 30.4% $79

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Ystad

$235 14.3% 8.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ystad

$137 8.4% 6.7% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Ystad

$155 9.4% 34.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Ystad

$62 3.8% 33.1% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Ystad

$107 6.5% 42% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $792 in Ystad. 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 59% higher in Ystad. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $86 in Ystad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $337 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Ystad

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

11:59 11:59 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

18,350

💱 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 = 55.45 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

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Ystad 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ystad

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 Ystad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ystad is pricier by about 9%, 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 $2,469 in Ystad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ystad, 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 $180 in Ystad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Ystad, 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 $1,646 in Ystad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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, Ystad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.