Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlskrona and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Karlskrona and in Istanbul: $1,617 and $1,550 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Karlskrona
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Karlskrona Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Karlskrona

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,617

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karlskrona and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karlskrona and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,617 per month in Karlskrona vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karlskrona $1,617
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,525 per month in Karlskrona vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karlskrona $2,525
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,434 per month in Karlskrona vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Karlskrona $3,434
Istanbul $3,281

Karlskrona costs about 4% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karlskrona and Istanbul sit above the global median – Karlskrona by 20%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.71 SEK 126

$12.30 ₺609

3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 SEK 633

$54.7 ₺2,708

16.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 SEK 87.1

$9.22 ₺456

-4.66%

Cappuccino

$3.96 SEK 39.23

$4.40 ₺218

-10.00%

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

$1.30 SEK 12.90

$1.68 ₺83.1

-22.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.71

$0.59 ₺29.40

271.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 SEK 69.8

$4.70 ₺233

49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 SEK 50.5

$5.91 ₺292

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 14.36

$1.21 ₺60.0

19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 SEK 27.50

$0.89 ₺44.10

212.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 35.72

$2.19 ₺108

64.38%

Eggs

$4.38 SEK 43.41

$2.35 ₺116

86.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 SEK 107

$10.42 ₺516

3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 SEK 132

$5.65 ₺280

135.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 SEK 170

$20.94 ₺1,037

-18.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 29.52

$1.90 ₺94.1

56.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 SEK 24.06

$2.31 ₺114

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 29.43

$1.28 ₺63.1

132.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 SEK 43.65

$1.80 ₺89.0

145.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.59

$0.65 ₺32.16

126.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 15.20

$0.64 ₺31.91

139.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 SEK 20.82

$1.25 ₺62.1

68.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SEK 13.43

$0.56 ₺27.58

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 71.2

$2.37 ₺118

203.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 SEK 122

$13.42 ₺664

-8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.74

$2.40 ₺119

-17.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 16.77

$3.48 ₺172

-51.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 SEK 28.94

$0.89 ₺43.84

228.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 SEK 691

$67.4 ₺3,338

3.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.92 SEK 128

$1.29 ₺64.1

901.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 SEK 20.00

$0.92 ₺45.70

119.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.5 SEK 798

$10.96 ₺542

634.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.18

$1.47 ₺72.9

17.69%

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

$33.4K SEK 330.6K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-34.30%

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

$32.8K SEK 324.7K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-26.40%

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

$51.5 SEK 510

$88.6 ₺4,387

-41.94%

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

$27.15 SEK 269

$11.59 ₺574

134.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.02 SEK 367

$15.81 ₺783

134.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 SEK 413

$77.2 ₺3,820

-46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$16.12 SEK 160

$8.14 ₺403

98.03%

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

$159 SEK 1,572

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-84.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 SEK 973

$54.0 ₺2,671

82.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.03 SEK 198

$40.83 ₺2,021

-50.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 SEK 783

$98.9 ₺4,895

-20.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 SEK 1,698

$96.6 ₺4,783

77.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 SEK 6,583

$985 ₺48.7K

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 SEK 5,585

$650 ₺32.2K

-13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 SEK 10.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 SEK 9,373

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-19.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,898 SEK 28.7K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-7.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,466 SEK 24.4K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

38.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,479 SEK 24.6K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

105.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

40.92

-89.69%

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

Last update for Karlskrona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karlskrona

$564 34.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 15.3% $86

Groceries & Markets

Karlskrona

$358 22.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 27.5% $99

Eating Out

Karlskrona

$235 14.5%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Karlskrona

$166 10.3%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 21.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlskrona

$116 7.2%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Karlskrona

$104 6.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 26.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Karlskrona

$74 4.6%

Istanbul

$93 6% 26.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $664 in Karlskrona versus $985 in Istanbul. 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 106% higher in Karlskrona, 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 $64.0 in Karlskrona versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlskrona

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Karlskrona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,212

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karlskrona Istanbul 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlskrona
Istanbul

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

Karlskrona vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlskrona is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,425 per month in Karlskrona and $2,325 in Istanbul. 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 $159 per month in Karlskrona and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Karlskrona, 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 Karlskrona at $1,617. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlskrona 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, Karlskrona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.