Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $3,073 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
Learn more

Tromso Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,073

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,073 per month in Tromso vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tromso $3,073
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $4,616 per month in Tromso vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tromso $4,616
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $6,158 per month in Tromso vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tromso $6,158
Istanbul $3,281

Tromso costs about 98% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tromso and Istanbul sit above the global median – Tromso by 128%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.24 NOK 322

$12.30 ₺609

178.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 974

$54.7 ₺2,708

89.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.60 NOK 147

$9.22 ₺456

69.20%

Cappuccino

$6.77 NOK 63.7

$4.40 ₺218

53.86%

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

$4.78 NOK 45.00

$1.68 ₺83.1

184.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 NOK 34.75

$0.59 ₺29.40

525.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.57 NOK 118

$4.70 ₺233

167.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.64 NOK 128

$5.91 ₺292

130.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.48

$1.21 ₺60.0

105.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 NOK 30.72

$0.89 ₺44.10

266.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.91

$2.19 ₺108

79.00%

Eggs

$5.18 NOK 48.80

$2.35 ₺116

120.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 NOK 109

$10.42 ₺516

11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 NOK 140

$5.65 ₺280

162.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.81 NOK 384

$20.94 ₺1,037

94.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.24

$1.90 ₺94.1

108.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NOK 27.46

$2.31 ₺114

26.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 NOK 50.3

$1.28 ₺63.1

317.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 NOK 57.2

$1.80 ₺89.0

237.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.27

$0.65 ₺32.16

443.08%

Onion (1kg)

$4.89 NOK 46.02

$0.64 ₺31.91

664.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 NOK 28.07

$1.25 ₺62.1

138.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 NOK 19.67

$0.56 ₺27.58

273.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.36 NOK 154

$2.37 ₺118

590.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.30 NOK 163

$13.42 ₺664

28.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.07

$2.40 ₺119

64.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 NOK 43.91

$3.48 ₺172

33.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.03 NOK 47.39

$0.89 ₺43.84

465.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 NOK 631

$67.4 ₺3,338

-0.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 145

$1.29 ₺64.1

1093.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 NOK 19.21

$0.92 ₺45.70

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.6 NOK 533

$10.96 ₺542

416.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.93

$1.47 ₺72.9

58.50%

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

$48.3K NOK 454.8K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-4.88%

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

$43.5K NOK 409.1K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-2.40%

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

$253 NOK 2,383

$88.6 ₺4,387

185.68%

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

$49.95 NOK 470

$11.59 ₺574

330.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.3 NOK 775

$15.81 ₺783

420.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 NOK 475

$77.2 ₺3,820

-34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.87 NOK 441

$22.74 ₺1,126

106.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.44 NOK 164

$8.14 ₺403

114.25%

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

$313 NOK 2,949

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-68.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,407 NOK 69.7K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-71.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.6 NOK 617

$54.0 ₺2,671

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 NOK 333

$40.83 ₺2,021

-13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 NOK 1,361

$98.9 ₺4,895

46.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,538

$96.6 ₺4,783

69.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 NOK 14.7K

$985 ₺48.7K

59.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 NOK 11.7K

$650 ₺32.2K

91.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 NOK 26.2K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 NOK 19.1K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

71.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,960 NOK 65.5K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

121.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,271 NOK 49.6K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

196.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,125 NOK 38.8K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

242.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

40.92

-87.76%

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

Last update for Tromso: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tromso

$1.2K 40.5%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 47.8% $595

Groceries & Markets

Tromso

$536 17.4%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 51.5% $276

Eating Out

Tromso

$526 17.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 57.5% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tromso

$385 12.5%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 69.9% $269

Clothing & Footwear

Tromso

$184 6%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 29% $53

Getting Around

Tromso

$113 3.7%

Istanbul

$77 5% 31.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Tromso

$85 2.8%

Istanbul

$93 6% 9.5% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Tromso 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 242% higher in Tromso, 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 $103 in Tromso versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tromso

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

1 h ahead of Tromso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,908

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tromso Istanbul 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tromso
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

Tromso vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tromso is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,610 per month in Tromso 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 $313 per month in Tromso 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 106% more in Tromso, 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 Tromso at $3,073. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tromso 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, Tromso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.