Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,777 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,777

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,777 per month in Lund vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lund $1,777
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $2,922 per month in Lund vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lund $2,922
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,067 per month in Lund vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Lund $4,067
Istanbul $3,272

Lund costs about 16% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lund and Istanbul sit above the global median – Lund by 33%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.72 SEK 127

$11.88 ₺585

7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 SEK 909

$55.1 ₺2,714

65.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 SEK 117

$9.14 ₺450

28.23%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 46.01

$4.24 ₺209

8.49%

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

$2.79 SEK 27.88

$1.75 ₺86.0

59.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.65

$0.54 ₺26.83

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 SEK 81.7

$4.69 ₺231

74.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 SEK 67.9

$5.97 ₺294

13.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 16.28

$1.26 ₺62.1

29.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SEK 25.47

$0.95 ₺46.81

168.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 33.74

$2.31 ₺114

46.32%

Eggs

$4.57 SEK 45.63

$2.47 ₺122

85.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 SEK 125

$10.55 ₺520

18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 SEK 118

$5.60 ₺276

111.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 SEK 153

$21.21 ₺1,045

-27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 30.63

$1.93 ₺95.1

58.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.82

$2.29 ₺113

12.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 28.26

$1.28 ₺63.1

121.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 SEK 46.78

$1.84 ₺90.8

154.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.98

$0.67 ₺32.86

153.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SEK 14.25

$0.59 ₺29.31

142.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 25.50

$1.33 ₺65.4

91.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 15.20

$0.59 ₺29.10

157.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 81.0

$2.36 ₺116

243.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 SEK 111

$13.47 ₺664

-17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 18.50

$2.42 ₺119

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 27.27

$3.54 ₺174

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.79

$0.83 ₺40.64

295.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 SEK 632

$66.5 ₺3,273

-4.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 SEK 50.7

$1.35 ₺66.6

276.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 SEK 11.02

$0.85 ₺42.05

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.40 SEK 414

$10.86 ₺535

281.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.97

$1.47 ₺72.3

22.45%

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

$33.1K SEK 331.0K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-35.84%

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

$32.8K SEK 328.1K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-26.14%

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

$76.4 SEK 764

$89.2 ₺4,395

-14.36%

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

$28.05 SEK 280

$11.60 ₺572

141.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 SEK 413

$16.10 ₺793

156.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.07 SEK 381

$77.3 ₺3,805

-50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.39 SEK 274

$22.66 ₺1,116

20.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 SEK 151

$8.34 ₺411

81.18%

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

$157 SEK 1,571

$974 ₺48.0K

-83.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 SEK 785

$52.7 ₺2,597

48.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 SEK 566

$39.16 ₺1,929

44.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 SEK 976

$103 ₺5,083

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 SEK 1,213

$96.6 ₺4,759

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SEK 8,255

$994 ₺49.0K

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 SEK 6,716

$629 ₺31.0K

6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 SEK 17.0K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 SEK 13.6K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

18.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,116 SEK 61.1K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

93.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,597 SEK 35.9K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

95.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 SEK 28.7K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

138.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

41.09

-92.63%

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

Last update for Lund: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$672 38.3%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 6.4% $43

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$355 20.3%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 25.7% $91

Eating Out

Lund

$266 15.2%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 18.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$159 9.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 17.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$146 8.3%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 19.8% $29

Getting Around

Lund

$87 5%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 13.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$68 3.9%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 37.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Lund 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 139% higher in Lund, 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 $91.0 in Lund versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h ahead of Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

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

Lund Istanbul 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lund
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

Lund vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lund is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,666 per month in Lund 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 $157 per month in Lund 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 35% more in Lund, 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 Lund at $1,777. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lund 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, Lund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.