Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bel Air

For one person, living is cheaper in Bel Air: $590 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Bel Air
Learn more

Bel Air Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bel Air

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bel Air

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $590 in Bel Air.

Istanbul $1,550
Bel Air $590

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $995 in Bel Air.

Istanbul $2,415
Bel Air $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,400 in Bel Air.

Istanbul $3,281
Bel Air $1,400

Living in Istanbul is roughly 163% more expensive than in Bel Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Bel Air is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.67 MUR 267

116.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$37.95 MUR 1,786

44.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.19 MUR 338

28.23%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.03 MUR 48.47

327.18%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.07 MUR 50.2

57.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.59 MUR 27.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.62 MUR 76.1

190.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.13 MUR 148

88.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.62 MUR 76.1

-25.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.78 MUR 36.67

14.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.15 MUR 54.1

90.43%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.54 MUR 120

-7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.29 MUR 249

96.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.30 MUR 296

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.14 MUR 525

87.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.75 MUR 130

-30.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.61 MUR 123

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.38 MUR 65.1

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.02 MUR 142

-40.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.00 MUR 46.93

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.93 MUR 43.84

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.69 MUR 32.37

81.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.90 MUR 42.48

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.25 MUR 294

-62.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.37 MUR 394

60.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.60 MUR 75.5

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.27 MUR 107

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.32 MUR 204

-70.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.13 MUR 147

-70.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$21.19 MUR 998

-48.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.35 MUR 63.6

8.89%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

42.00%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.7K MUR 1.4M

45.01%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$45.32 MUR 2,134

95.52%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.72 MUR 505

8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$28.55 MUR 1,344

-44.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.40 MUR 301

27.19%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$128 MUR 6,039

685.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,491 MUR 352.7K

241.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$77.1 MUR 3,629

-30.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$72.3 MUR 3,403

-43.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$118 MUR 5,568

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$76.6 MUR 3,604

26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.67

513.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bel Air

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bel Air

$217 36.9% 16.3% $42

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bel Air

$100 17% 55.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bel Air

$155 26.3% 18.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bel Air

$85 14.3% 27.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bel Air

$13 * 2.2% 86.3% $81

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bel Air

$20 * 3.4% 74% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $38.00 in Bel Air for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $217 per month, with Bel Air cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Bel Air

🕒 Local time

20:54 8:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

17,600

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bel Air 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bel Air

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 Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $885 in Bel Air 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 20% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $590 in Bel Air – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $590 in Bel Air versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Air but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Air the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Air delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $590 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Air hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bel Air 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 Bel Air gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.