Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vasteras and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $1,818 in Vasteras, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Vasteras
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Vasteras Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Vasteras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,818

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,818 per month in Vasteras vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vasteras $1,818
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $2,764 per month in Vasteras vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vasteras $2,764
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $3,710 per month in Vasteras vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Vasteras $3,710
Istanbul $3,281

Vasteras costs about 17% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vasteras and Istanbul sit above the global median – Vasteras by 35%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.70 SEK 136

$12.30 ₺609

11.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 SEK 640

$54.7 ₺2,708

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 SEK 98.2

$9.22 ₺456

7.48%

Cappuccino

$4.23 SEK 41.92

$4.40 ₺218

-3.86%

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

$2.25 SEK 22.27

$1.68 ₺83.1

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 21.97

$0.59 ₺29.40

276.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 SEK 70.8

$4.70 ₺233

52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 SEK 70.2

$5.91 ₺292

19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 SEK 13.87

$1.21 ₺60.0

15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 SEK 29.70

$0.89 ₺44.10

237.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 35.37

$2.19 ₺108

63.01%

Eggs

$3.89 SEK 38.55

$2.35 ₺116

65.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 SEK 120

$10.42 ₺516

16.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.74 SEK 126

$5.65 ₺280

125.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 221

$20.94 ₺1,037

6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 31.59

$1.90 ₺94.1

67.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.05

$2.31 ₺114

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 36.37

$1.28 ₺63.1

186.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 43.46

$1.80 ₺89.0

143.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.55

$0.65 ₺32.16

126.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.80

$0.64 ₺31.91

165.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 SEK 21.62

$1.25 ₺62.1

74.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.73

$0.56 ₺27.58

166.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 SEK 70.2

$2.37 ₺118

198.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 SEK 132

$13.42 ₺664

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SEK 13.10

$2.40 ₺119

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SEK 21.54

$3.48 ₺172

-37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 32.88

$0.89 ₺43.84

273.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 SEK 700

$67.4 ₺3,338

4.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 SEK 34.78

$1.29 ₺64.1

172.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 SEK 24.78

$0.92 ₺45.70

171.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.0 SEK 802

$10.96 ₺542

638.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 SEK 16.49

$1.47 ₺72.9

12.93%

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

$33.2K SEK 328.6K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-34.69%

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

$32.0K SEK 317.5K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-28.05%

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

$183 SEK 1,817

$88.6 ₺4,387

106.97%

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

$22.17 SEK 220

$11.59 ₺574

91.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.15 SEK 428

$15.81 ₺783

172.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 SEK 338

$77.2 ₺3,820

-55.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.65 SEK 195

$22.74 ₺1,126

-13.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.74 SEK 166

$8.14 ₺403

105.65%

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

$151 SEK 1,499

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-84.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,881 SEK 48.4K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-80.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 1,002

$54.0 ₺2,671

87.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 SEK 399

$40.83 ₺2,021

-1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 SEK 859

$98.9 ₺4,895

-12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,323

$96.6 ₺4,783

38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 SEK 7,429

$985 ₺48.7K

-23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 SEK 5,957

$650 ₺32.2K

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 SEK 13.5K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-31.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 SEK 9,880

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-15.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,564 SEK 35.3K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

13.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,404 SEK 23.8K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

35.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,996 SEK 29.7K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

148.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

40.92

-91.37%

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

Last update for Vasteras: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vasteras

$601 33.1%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 8.1% $49

Groceries & Markets

Vasteras

$380 20.9%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 31.7% $121

Eating Out

Vasteras

$258 14.2%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 13.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vasteras

$249 13.7%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 53.4% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Vasteras

$163 9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 19.7% $32

Getting Around

Vasteras

$100 5.5%

Istanbul

$77 5% 23.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Vasteras

$68 3.7%

Istanbul

$93 6% 38.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Vasteras 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 149% higher in Vasteras, 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 $65.0 in Vasteras 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

🇸🇪 Vasteras

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

01:27 1:27 AM

1 h ahead of Vasteras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,877

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 19, 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 19, 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

Vasteras Istanbul 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vasteras
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

Vasteras vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vasteras is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Vasteras 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 $151 per month in Vasteras 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 Vasteras, 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 Vasteras at $1,818. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vasteras 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, Vasteras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.