Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ait Melloul

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.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Ait Melloul
Learn more

Ait Melloul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Ait Melloul

🇲🇦 Morocco

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ait Melloul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Ait Melloul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Istanbul $1,550
Ait Melloul $667

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

Istanbul $2,415
Ait Melloul $1,027

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

Istanbul $3,281
Ait Melloul $1,386

Living in Istanbul is roughly 132% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.61 MAD 35.15

240.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.96 MAD 243

119.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.16 MAD 60.1

49.68%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.11 MAD 20.53

108.53%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.82 MAD 7.95

104.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.57 MAD 5.56

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.10 MAD 49.73

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.41 MAD 42.96

34.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.80 MAD 7.81

51.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.54 MAD 5.26

64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.51 MAD 14.77

45.03%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.62 MAD 15.81

45.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$7.83 MAD 76.3

33.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.45 MAD 53.2

3.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.79 MAD 115

77.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.25 MAD 12.23

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.18 MAD 11.48

95.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.84 MAD 8.17

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.79 MAD 7.75

127.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.71 MAD 6.93

-8.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.76 MAD 7.41

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.25 MAD 2.44

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.56 MAD 5.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.12 MAD 40.14

-42.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.55 MAD 73.6

77.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.33 MAD 22.70

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.24 MAD 31.61

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.57 MAD 5.58

56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$20.98 MAD 205

221.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.65 MAD 6.34

98.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.60 MAD 5.85

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$7.13 MAD 69.5

53.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.45 MAD 14.16

1.38%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.8K MAD 329.3K

50.37%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.3K MAD 295.1K

47.11%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$24.40 MAD 238

263.16%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.02 MAD 87.9

28.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$29.62 MAD 289

-46.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$23.05 MAD 225

234.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$17.96 MAD 175

26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.02 MAD 48.95

62.15%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$69.7 MAD 679

1346.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,859 MAD 18.1K

1275.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$31.11 MAD 303

73.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$43.52 MAD 424

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$59.0 MAD 575

67.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$47.72 MAD 465

102.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$283 MAD 2,758

248.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$173 MAD 1,687

275.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$436 MAD 4,253

354.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$252 MAD 2,458

368.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,366 MAD 13.3K

129.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$767 MAD 7,478

132.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.5

809.33%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Ait Melloul

$173 25.9% 73.4% $477

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Ait Melloul

$177 26.6% 31.7% $82

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Ait Melloul

$112 16.9% 49.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Ait Melloul

$82 12.2% 37.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Ait Melloul

$63 9.4% 45.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Ait Melloul

$33 5% 64.6% $60

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Ait Melloul

$27 4% 65% $50

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Ait Melloul

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

171,847

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

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).

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).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Istanbul
Ait Melloul

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

Istanbul vs Ait Melloul: 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 $2,325 in Istanbul and $1,001 in Ait Melloul 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: $985 in Istanbul versus $283 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $69.7 in Ait Melloul. 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, Istanbul and Ait Melloul 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.