Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelmim and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelmim: $568 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Guelmim
Learn more

Guelmim Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Guelmim

🇲🇦 Morocco

$568

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $568 per month in Guelmim vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Guelmim $568
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $924 per month in Guelmim vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Guelmim $924
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,281 per month in Guelmim vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Guelmim $1,281
Istanbul $3,281

Guelmim is about 63% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Guelmim sits 58% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 MAD 49.22

$12.30 ₺609

-58.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.16 MAD 245

$54.7 ₺2,708

-54.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 MAD 69.9

$9.22 ₺456

-22.23%

Cappuccino

$2.02 MAD 19.69

$4.40 ₺218

-54.09%

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

$0.84 MAD 8.17

$1.68 ₺83.1

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 MAD 4.84

$0.59 ₺29.40

-15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 MAD 51.4

$4.70 ₺233

12.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MAD 43.93

$5.91 ₺292

-23.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.43

$1.21 ₺60.0

-28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 MAD 4.03

$0.89 ₺44.10

-53.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 MAD 9.90

$2.19 ₺108

-53.42%

Eggs

$1.68 MAD 16.36

$2.35 ₺116

-28.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 MAD 79.8

$10.42 ₺516

-21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 MAD 33.23

$5.65 ₺280

-39.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 MAD 83.6

$20.94 ₺1,037

-59.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.26

$1.90 ₺94.1

-33.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MAD 11.63

$2.31 ₺114

-48.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.81

$1.28 ₺63.1

-29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 MAD 6.34

$1.80 ₺89.0

-63.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.20

$0.65 ₺32.16

-1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 MAD 5.88

$0.64 ₺31.91

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$1.25 ₺62.1

-52.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.34

$0.56 ₺27.58

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 MAD 39.22

$2.37 ₺118

69.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 MAD 110

$13.42 ₺664

-15.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MAD 11.90

$2.40 ₺119

-49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 MAD 13.17

$3.48 ₺172

-61.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MAD 6.68

$0.89 ₺43.84

-22.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MAD 203

$67.4 ₺3,338

-69.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 MAD 5.76

$1.29 ₺64.1

-54.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 MAD 5.83

$0.92 ₺45.70

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 MAD 60.3

$10.96 ₺542

-43.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MAD 12.94

$1.47 ₺72.9

-9.52%

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

$33.8K MAD 330.0K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-33.36%

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

$29.2K MAD 285.1K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-34.32%

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)

$10.28 MAD 100

$11.59 ₺574

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.03 MAD 205

$15.81 ₺783

33.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 MAD 250

$77.2 ₺3,820

-66.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.83 MAD 203

$22.74 ₺1,126

-8.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MAD 49.08

$8.14 ₺403

-38.21%

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

$70.2 MAD 684

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-93.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,880 MAD 18.3K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-92.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 MAD 179

$54.0 ₺2,671

-65.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 MAD 151

$40.83 ₺2,021

-62.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 MAD 579

$98.9 ₺4,895

-39.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.08 MAD 303

$96.6 ₺4,783

-67.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 MAD 1,879

$985 ₺48.7K

-80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 MAD 1,090

$650 ₺32.2K

-82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 MAD 3,112

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-83.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MAD 2,192

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-80.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,225 MAD 11.9K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-60.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$829 MAD 8,080

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-53.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 MAD 3,047

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-74.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

40.92

-84.12%

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

Last update for Guelmim: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Guelmim

$155 27.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 67.9% $105

Eating Out

Guelmim

$127 22.3%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 76% $96

Accommodation & Living

Guelmim

$112 19.7%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 481% $538

Clothing & Footwear

Guelmim

$56 9.9%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 134% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelmim

$56 9.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 108% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Guelmim

$36 6.3%

Istanbul

$93 6% 161% $58

Getting Around

Guelmim

$27 4.8%

Istanbul

$77 5% 184% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Guelmim 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 286% higher in Istanbul, 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 $25.00 in Guelmim versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $260 – making Guelmim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Guelmim

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

2 h ahead of Guelmim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,318

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guelmim Istanbul 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Guelmim
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

Guelmim vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $852 per month in Guelmim 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 Guelmim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $568 in Guelmim and $1,550 in Istanbul. That's a gap of about 173%.

Public transport costs about 224% less in Guelmim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guelmim, where all-in costs run around $568, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Guelmim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guelmim – 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 Guelmim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.