Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsta and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,642 in Marsta, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Marsta despite lower rent and utilities.

80

Cost of Living Index in Marsta
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Marsta Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Marsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,642

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,642 per month in Marsta vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsta $1,642
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Marsta vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsta $2,549
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,456 per month in Marsta vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsta $3,456
Istanbul $3,281

Marsta costs about 6% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marsta and Istanbul sit above the global median – Marsta by 22%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.20 SEK 131

$12.30 ₺609

7.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 SEK 652

$54.7 ₺2,708

20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 SEK 101

$9.22 ₺456

10.85%

Cappuccino

$4.42 SEK 43.82

$4.40 ₺218

0.45%

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

$2.00 SEK 19.85

$1.68 ₺83.1

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SEK 17.30

$0.59 ₺29.40

196.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 SEK 70.6

$4.70 ₺233

51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 SEK 67.2

$5.91 ₺292

14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 16.77

$1.21 ₺60.0

39.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 SEK 30.15

$0.89 ₺44.10

241.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.64 SEK 55.9

$2.19 ₺108

157.53%

Eggs

$3.57 SEK 35.39

$2.35 ₺116

51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 SEK 134

$10.42 ₺516

29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 SEK 88.7

$5.65 ₺280

58.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 SEK 167

$20.94 ₺1,037

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 SEK 30.05

$1.90 ₺94.1

59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 26.49

$2.31 ₺114

15.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 19.43

$1.28 ₺63.1

53.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 SEK 36.89

$1.80 ₺89.0

106.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 13.98

$0.65 ₺32.16

116.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.66

$0.64 ₺31.91

131.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SEK 19.31

$1.25 ₺62.1

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 18.10

$0.56 ₺27.58

226.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 SEK 70.9

$2.37 ₺118

201.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 SEK 100

$13.42 ₺664

-24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 18.56

$2.40 ₺119

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.13

$3.48 ₺172

-41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 33.27

$0.89 ₺43.84

277.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.8 SEK 751

$67.4 ₺3,338

12.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.16 SEK 130

$1.29 ₺64.1

920.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 SEK 19.86

$0.92 ₺45.70

117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.4 SEK 559

$10.96 ₺542

414.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.20

$1.47 ₺72.9

18.37%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-36.19%

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

$32.5K SEK 321.9K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.04%

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

$60.2 SEK 597

$88.6 ₺4,387

-32.03%

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

$27.96 SEK 277

$11.59 ₺574

141.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.22 SEK 389

$15.81 ₺783

148.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.67 SEK 373

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 SEK 263

$22.74 ₺1,126

16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 SEK 159

$8.14 ₺403

96.93%

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

$216 SEK 2,137

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-78.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.36 SEK 489

$54.0 ₺2,671

-8.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.13 SEK 299

$40.83 ₺2,021

-26.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 SEK 885

$98.9 ₺4,895

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SEK 995

$96.6 ₺4,783

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 SEK 7,943

$985 ₺48.7K

-18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 6,042

$650 ₺32.2K

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 SEK 13.3K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 SEK 9,954

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,974 SEK 39.4K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 SEK 27.3K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

54.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,563 SEK 45.2K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

278.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

40.92

-93.16%

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

Last update for Marsta: 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

Marsta

$610 37.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 6.6% $40

Groceries & Markets

Marsta

$348 21.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 25.5% $89

Eating Out

Marsta

$254 15.4%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 11.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marsta

$127 7.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 8.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Marsta

$121 7.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 7.8% $9.4

Getting Around

Marsta

$112 6.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 31.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Marsta

$70 4.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 34% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $802 in Marsta 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 279% higher in Marsta, 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 $66.0 in Marsta versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Marsta

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

1 h ahead of Marsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,068

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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Highest

Between locations

Marsta Istanbul 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Marsta
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

Marsta vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marsta is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,464 per month in Marsta 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 $216 per month in Marsta 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 34% more in Marsta, 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 Marsta at $1,642. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsta 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, Marsta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.