Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Beira

For one person, living is cheaper in Beira: $383 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Beira

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Beira

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 Beira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $383 in Beira.

Istanbul $1,526
Beira $383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $734 in Beira.

Istanbul $2,399
Beira $734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $1,085 in Beira.

Istanbul $3,272
Beira $1,085

Living in Istanbul is roughly 299% more expensive than in Beira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Beira is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$12.58 MZN 796

-5.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$47.69 MZN 3,017

15.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$3.21 MZN 203

32.09%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.19 MZN 75.2

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.15 MZN 72.9

-53.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.32 MZN 83.2

255.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.99 MZN 126

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.62 MZN 102

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.32 MZN 20.53

196.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.54 MZN 97.2

50.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.83 MZN 116

34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.85 MZN 243

45.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$4.62 MZN 292

359.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.31 MZN 146

-16.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$2.37 MZN 150

-3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.39 MZN 151

-46.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.23 MZN 77.8

49.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.24 MZN 78.4

-45.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.92 MZN 58.5

-35.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$2.38 MZN 150

-44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.68 MZN 42.80

-13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$0.97 MZN 61.7

143.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.97 MZN 504

69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.01 MZN 63.7

139.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.97 MZN 251

-10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.74 MZN 47.05

82.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.37 MZN 86.5

7.30%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$91.3 MZN 5,777

966.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$18.92 MZN 1,197

178.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$38.62 MZN 2,442

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$39.45 MZN 2,495

161.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$46.70 MZN 2,954

106.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Beira: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Beira

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Beira

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Beira

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Beira

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Beira

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Beira

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Beira

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $48.00 in Beira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $160 per month, with Beira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇿 Beira

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

12:08 12:08 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

436,240

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.88 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Beira 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Beira

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 Beira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Beira differ by about 299% in total monthly costs ($1,526 vs $383 including rent). Beira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,289 in Istanbul and $574 in Beira 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Istanbul versus $383 in Beira – a 299% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $383 in Beira versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Beira but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Beira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Beira 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 Beira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.