Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ait Melloul and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ait Melloul: $667 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Ait Melloul
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Ait Melloul Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Ait Melloul

🇲🇦 Morocco

$667

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Ait Melloul versus $1,550 in Istanbul.

Ait Melloul $667
Istanbul $1,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Ait Melloul versus $2,415 in Istanbul.

Ait Melloul $1,027
Istanbul $2,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,386 in Ait Melloul versus $3,281 in Istanbul.

Ait Melloul $1,386
Istanbul $3,281

Living in Ait Melloul costs roughly 57% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ait Melloul is 51% below, Istanbul is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MAD 35.15

$12.30 ₺609

-70.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 MAD 243

$54.7 ₺2,708

-54.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 MAD 60.1

$9.22 ₺456

-33.19%

Cappuccino

$2.11 MAD 20.53

$4.40 ₺218

-52.05%

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

$0.82 MAD 7.95

$1.68 ₺83.1

-51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MAD 5.56

$0.59 ₺29.40

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$4.70 ₺233

8.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MAD 42.96

$5.91 ₺292

-25.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.81

$1.21 ₺60.0

-33.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 MAD 5.26

$0.89 ₺44.10

-39.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MAD 14.77

$2.19 ₺108

-31.05%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.81

$2.35 ₺116

-31.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 MAD 76.3

$10.42 ₺516

-24.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 MAD 53.2

$5.65 ₺280

-3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 MAD 115

$20.94 ₺1,037

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 MAD 12.23

$1.90 ₺94.1

-34.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MAD 11.48

$2.31 ₺114

-48.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 8.17

$1.28 ₺63.1

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.75

$1.80 ₺89.0

-56.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 6.93

$0.65 ₺32.16

9.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.41

$0.64 ₺31.91

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.25 MAD 2.44

$1.25 ₺62.1

-80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.46

$0.56 ₺27.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MAD 40.14

$2.37 ₺118

73.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 MAD 73.6

$13.42 ₺664

-43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 MAD 22.70

$2.40 ₺119

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MAD 31.61

$3.48 ₺172

-6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.58

$0.89 ₺43.84

-35.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.98 MAD 205

$67.4 ₺3,338

-68.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 MAD 6.34

$1.29 ₺64.1

-49.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 MAD 5.85

$0.92 ₺45.70

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 MAD 69.5

$10.96 ₺542

-34.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MAD 14.16

$1.47 ₺72.9

-1.36%

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

$33.8K MAD 329.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-33.50%

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

$30.3K MAD 295.1K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-32.02%

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

$24.40 MAD 238

$88.6 ₺4,387

-72.46%

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

$9.02 MAD 87.9

$11.59 ₺574

-22.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.62 MAD 289

$15.81 ₺783

87.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.05 MAD 225

$77.2 ₺3,820

-70.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.96 MAD 175

$22.74 ₺1,126

-21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MAD 48.95

$8.14 ₺403

-38.33%

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

$69.7 MAD 679

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-93.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,859 MAD 18.1K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-92.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.11 MAD 303

$54.0 ₺2,671

-42.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 MAD 424

$40.83 ₺2,021

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 MAD 575

$98.9 ₺4,895

-40.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.72 MAD 465

$96.6 ₺4,783

-50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,758

$985 ₺48.7K

-71.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,687

$650 ₺32.2K

-73.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 MAD 4,253

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 MAD 2,458

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-78.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 MAD 13.3K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$767 MAD 7,478

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-56.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

40.92

-89.00%

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

Last update for Ait Melloul: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ait Melloul

$177 26.6%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 46.4% $82

Accommodation & Living

Ait Melloul

$173 25.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 276% $477

Eating Out

Ait Melloul

$112 16.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 98.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Ait Melloul

$82 12.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 60.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ait Melloul

$63 9.4%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 84% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Ait Melloul

$33 5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 182% $60

Getting Around

Ait Melloul

$27 4%

Istanbul

$77 5% 186% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Ait Melloul and $985 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ait Melloul vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $260 per month, with Ait Melloul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ait Melloul

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

2 h ahead of Ait Melloul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,847

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 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 MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ait Melloul Istanbul 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ait Melloul
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

Ait Melloul vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,001 in Ait Melloul and $2,325 in Istanbul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Ait Melloul versus $985 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $69.7 in Ait Melloul versus $1,008 in Istanbul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $667 in Ait Melloul versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ait Melloul and Istanbul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.