Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lidingo and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,837 in Lidingo, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Lidingo
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Lidingo Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Lidingo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,837

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lidingo 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 Lidingo and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Lidingo vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lidingo $1,837
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,809 per month in Lidingo vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lidingo $2,809
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,780 per month in Lidingo vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lidingo $3,780
Istanbul $3,281

Lidingo costs about 19% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lidingo and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lidingo by 36%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.96 SEK 138

$12.30 ₺609

13.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 SEK 703

$54.7 ₺2,708

29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 SEK 112

$9.22 ₺456

22.67%

Cappuccino

$2.93 SEK 28.99

$4.40 ₺218

-33.41%

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

$2.23 SEK 22.11

$1.68 ₺83.1

32.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 SEK 25.25

$0.59 ₺29.40

332.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 SEK 63.9

$4.70 ₺233

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 SEK 54.1

$5.91 ₺292

-7.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 SEK 13.96

$1.21 ₺60.0

16.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 29.84

$0.89 ₺44.10

238.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 SEK 34.87

$2.19 ₺108

60.73%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 39.58

$2.35 ₺116

69.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 SEK 119

$10.42 ₺516

15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 SEK 128

$5.65 ₺280

127.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.26 SEK 221

$20.94 ₺1,037

6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 31.25

$1.90 ₺94.1

65.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 SEK 24.33

$2.31 ₺114

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 35.89

$1.28 ₺63.1

182.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 44.43

$1.80 ₺89.0

148.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 SEK 19.82

$0.65 ₺32.16

207.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 18.22

$0.64 ₺31.91

187.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 SEK 21.01

$1.25 ₺62.1

69.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.89

$0.56 ₺27.58

167.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.67 SEK 76.0

$2.37 ₺118

223.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 SEK 134

$13.42 ₺664

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SEK 13.44

$2.40 ₺119

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.62

$3.48 ₺172

-37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 SEK 31.98

$0.89 ₺43.84

262.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 SEK 758

$67.4 ₺3,338

13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 SEK 33.88

$1.29 ₺64.1

165.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 SEK 24.51

$0.92 ₺45.70

168.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.3 SEK 776

$10.96 ₺542

614.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.06

$1.47 ₺72.9

17.01%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-36.15%

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

$33.3K SEK 330.0K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-25.21%

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

$183 SEK 1,817

$88.6 ₺4,387

106.91%

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

$22.03 SEK 218

$11.59 ₺574

90.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.11 SEK 427

$15.81 ₺783

172.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 SEK 370

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 SEK 259

$22.74 ₺1,126

15.00%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 SEK 161

$8.14 ₺403

99.75%

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

$151 SEK 1,499

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-84.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,992 SEK 49.5K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,016

$54.0 ₺2,671

90.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 SEK 396

$40.83 ₺2,021

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 SEK 866

$98.9 ₺4,895

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,347

$96.6 ₺4,783

40.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 SEK 7,980

$985 ₺48.7K

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 SEK 6,174

$650 ₺32.2K

-4.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 SEK 13.1K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-33.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 SEK 10.2K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,954 SEK 39.2K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

26.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,818 SEK 27.9K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,491 SEK 24.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

106.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

40.92

-91.37%

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

Last update for Lidingo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lidingo

$623 33.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 4.3% $27

Groceries & Markets

Lidingo

$383 20.9%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 32.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lidingo

$248 13.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 53.3% $132

Eating Out

Lidingo

$243 13.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 8.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Lidingo

$165 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 20.6% $34

Getting Around

Lidingo

$105 5.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 26.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Lidingo

$70 3.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 33.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Lidingo 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 107% higher in Lidingo, 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 $71.0 in Lidingo versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lidingo

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h ahead of Lidingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,541

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

Lidingo Istanbul 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lidingo
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

Lidingo vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lidingo is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Lidingo 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 $151 per month in Lidingo 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 48% more in Lidingo, 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 Lidingo at $1,837. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lidingo 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, Lidingo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.