Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,823 in Lulea, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,823

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,823 per month in Lulea vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lulea $1,823
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $2,920 per month in Lulea vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lulea $2,920
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,016 per month in Lulea vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lulea $4,016
Istanbul $3,272

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

Both Lulea and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lulea by 36%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 SEK 117

$11.88 ₺585

-1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 SEK 955

$55.1 ₺2,714

73.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 SEK 109

$9.14 ₺450

19.80%

Cappuccino

$4.36 SEK 43.52

$4.24 ₺209

2.83%

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

$2.51 SEK 25.10

$1.75 ₺86.0

43.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 18.66

$0.54 ₺26.83

246.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 SEK 85.8

$4.69 ₺231

82.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 SEK 94.8

$5.97 ₺294

58.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.71

$1.26 ₺62.1

40.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 SEK 32.60

$0.95 ₺46.81

243.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 SEK 49.41

$2.31 ₺114

113.85%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 46.43

$2.47 ₺122

88.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 122

$10.55 ₺520

16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 SEK 132

$5.60 ₺276

135.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.18 SEK 262

$21.21 ₺1,045

23.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.47

$1.93 ₺95.1

32.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 26.53

$2.29 ₺113

15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SEK 24.87

$1.28 ₺63.1

94.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 41.10

$1.84 ₺90.8

123.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 SEK 20.39

$0.67 ₺32.86

204.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 15.43

$0.59 ₺29.31

161.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 SEK 33.58

$1.33 ₺65.4

152.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.93

$0.59 ₺29.10

118.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.68 SEK 66.7

$2.36 ₺116

183.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 SEK 120

$13.47 ₺664

-10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.77

$2.42 ₺119

-26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 17.15

$3.54 ₺174

-51.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 33.21

$0.83 ₺40.64

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 SEK 554

$66.5 ₺3,273

-16.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 SEK 90.3

$1.35 ₺66.6

569.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SEK 20.52

$0.85 ₺42.05

141.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 SEK 706

$10.86 ₺535

550.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.65

$1.47 ₺72.3

20.41%

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

$31.9K SEK 318.5K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-38.28%

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

$33.5K SEK 334.6K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-24.66%

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

$160 SEK 1,603

$89.2 ₺4,395

79.80%

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

$31.51 SEK 315

$11.60 ₺572

171.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.96 SEK 269

$16.10 ₺793

67.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 SEK 461

$77.3 ₺3,805

-40.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.47 SEK 354

$22.66 ₺1,116

56.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 SEK 129

$8.34 ₺411

55.16%

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

$153 SEK 1,528

$974 ₺48.0K

-84.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,466 SEK 54.6K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-78.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 SEK 1,168

$52.7 ₺2,597

121.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 SEK 320

$39.16 ₺1,929

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,202

$103 ₺5,083

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 SEK 1,611

$96.6 ₺4,759

66.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 SEK 7,773

$994 ₺49.0K

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 SEK 5,811

$629 ₺31.0K

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 SEK 14.2K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-29.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SEK 11.0K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-4.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 SEK 30.5K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,254 SEK 22.5K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

22.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 SEK 25.9K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

115.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

41.09

-90.63%

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

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lulea

$581 32%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 8.2% $48

Groceries & Markets

Lulea

$404 22.2%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 34.6% $140

Eating Out

Lulea

$258 14.2%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 15.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lulea

$219 12.1%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 46.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Lulea

$194 10.7%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 32.2% $62

Getting Around

Lulea

$88 4.9%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 14.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Lulea

$72 4%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 30.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $778 in Lulea versus $994 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 116% higher in Lulea, 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 $96.0 in Lulea versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lulea

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Lulea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,864

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lulea Istanbul 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lulea
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

Lulea vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,734 per month in Lulea and $2,289 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 $153 per month in Lulea and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Lulea, 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 $1,526, than in Lulea at $1,823. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lulea 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, Lulea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.