Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skelleftea and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,961 in Skelleftea, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Skelleftea
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Skelleftea Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Skelleftea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,961

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,961 per month in Skelleftea vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skelleftea $1,961
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,962 per month in Skelleftea vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skelleftea $2,962
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,964 per month in Skelleftea vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Skelleftea $3,964
Istanbul $3,281

Skelleftea costs about 27% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skelleftea and Istanbul sit above the global median – Skelleftea by 45%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.89 SEK 157

$12.30 ₺609

29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 SEK 775

$54.7 ₺2,708

43.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 SEK 130

$9.22 ₺456

42.73%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 46.09

$4.40 ₺218

5.68%

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

$2.56 SEK 25.38

$1.68 ₺83.1

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 22.75

$0.59 ₺29.40

289.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 SEK 78.1

$4.70 ₺233

67.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 SEK 76.2

$5.91 ₺292

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 SEK 15.76

$1.21 ₺60.0

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SEK 24.43

$0.89 ₺44.10

177.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 48.67

$2.19 ₺108

124.20%

Eggs

$5.14 SEK 51.0

$2.35 ₺116

118.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 SEK 108

$10.42 ₺516

4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 SEK 107

$5.65 ₺280

90.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.10 SEK 239

$20.94 ₺1,037

15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 31.45

$1.90 ₺94.1

66.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 SEK 23.80

$2.31 ₺114

3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 30.42

$1.28 ₺63.1

139.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 35.25

$1.80 ₺89.0

97.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 SEK 22.17

$0.65 ₺32.16

244.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 16.01

$0.64 ₺31.91

153.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 SEK 22.58

$1.25 ₺62.1

82.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SEK 15.52

$0.56 ₺27.58

180.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 SEK 72.8

$2.37 ₺118

209.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.00 SEK 149

$13.42 ₺664

11.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 16.90

$2.40 ₺119

-28.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.72

$3.48 ₺172

-54.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 SEK 27.53

$0.89 ₺43.84

212.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.6 SEK 511

$67.4 ₺3,338

-23.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 SEK 77.6

$1.29 ₺64.1

506.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 17.13

$0.92 ₺45.70

88.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 SEK 583

$10.96 ₺542

437.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.00

$1.47 ₺72.9

17.01%

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

$32.9K SEK 326.1K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-35.19%

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

$32.2K SEK 319.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-27.59%

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

$103 SEK 1,017

$88.6 ₺4,387

15.83%

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

$33.24 SEK 329

$11.59 ₺574

186.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 SEK 513

$15.81 ₺783

227.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.65 SEK 373

$77.2 ₺3,820

-51.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 SEK 253

$22.74 ₺1,126

12.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 SEK 147

$8.14 ₺403

81.70%

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

$140 SEK 1,388

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-86.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,481 SEK 54.3K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-78.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.8 SEK 940

$54.0 ₺2,671

75.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.10 SEK 387

$40.83 ₺2,021

-4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 SEK 781

$98.9 ₺4,895

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,515

$96.6 ₺4,783

58.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 SEK 11.2K

$985 ₺48.7K

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 SEK 7,792

$650 ₺32.2K

21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 SEK 15.7K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-19.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 SEK 11.8K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

1.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 SEK 39.7K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

27.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,822 SEK 28.0K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

58.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,556 SEK 25.3K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

112.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

40.92

-90.47%

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

Last update for Skelleftea: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skelleftea

$786 40.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 17.4% $137

Groceries & Markets

Skelleftea

$380 19.4%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 31.6% $120

Eating Out

Skelleftea

$297 15.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 24.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skelleftea

$188 9.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 38.2% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Skelleftea

$165 8.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 20.6% $34

Getting Around

Skelleftea

$79 4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 2.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Skelleftea

$67 3.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 39% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,127 in Skelleftea 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 112% higher in Skelleftea, 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 $78.0 in Skelleftea versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Skelleftea

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

16:39 4:39 PM

1 h ahead of Skelleftea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,775

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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skelleftea Istanbul 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Skelleftea
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

Skelleftea vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Skelleftea is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,942 per month in Skelleftea 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 $140 per month in Skelleftea 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 46% more in Skelleftea, 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 Skelleftea at $1,961. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skelleftea 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, Skelleftea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.