Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bel Ombre

For one person, living is cheaper in Bel Ombre: $619 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bel Ombre
Learn more

Bel Ombre Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bel Ombre

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $619 in Bel Ombre.

Istanbul $1,550
Bel Ombre $619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,039 in Bel Ombre.

Istanbul $2,415
Bel Ombre $1,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,459 in Bel Ombre.

Istanbul $3,281
Bel Ombre $1,459

Living in Istanbul is roughly 150% more expensive than in Bel Ombre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Bel Ombre is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.96 MUR 281

106.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$38.38 MUR 1,807

42.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.21 MUR 339

27.88%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.58 MUR 121

70.54%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.18 MUR 55.4

42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.62 MUR 29.41

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.61 MUR 123

80.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.75 MUR 223

24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.60 MUR 75.1

-24.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.73 MUR 34.46

21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.14 MUR 53.8

92.11%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.65 MUR 125

-11.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.17 MUR 243

101.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.28 MUR 296

-10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.04 MUR 520

89.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.86 MUR 135

-33.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.65 MUR 125

-12.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.39 MUR 65.7

-7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.91 MUR 137

-38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.01 MUR 47.74

-35.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.98 MUR 46.28

-34.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.69 MUR 32.33

81.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.90 MUR 42.45

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.49 MUR 306

-63.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.17 MUR 385

64.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.68 MUR 79.1

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.36 MUR 111

47.46%

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

$4.13 MUR 194

-68.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.07 MUR 145

-70.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$20.89 MUR 983

-47.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.34 MUR 63.1

9.70%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

38.81%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.5K MUR 1.4M

46.02%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.89 MUR 2,113

97.39%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.56 MUR 497

9.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$29.00 MUR 1,365

-45.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.28 MUR 295

29.62%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$125 MUR 5,885

706.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,726 MUR 363.7K

230.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$76.2 MUR 3,587

-29.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$74.4 MUR 3,502

-45.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$117 MUR 5,512

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$77.9 MUR 3,665

24.08%

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 Ombre: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bel Ombre

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bel Ombre

$217 35% 16.5% $43

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bel Ombre

$130 21% 41.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bel Ombre

$155 25.1% 19% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bel Ombre

$84 13.7% 27.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bel Ombre

$13 * 2% 86.6% $81

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bel Ombre

$19 * 3.2% 74.7% $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 Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $217 per month, with Bel Ombre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Bel Ombre

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

2,417

💱 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 Ombre 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bel Ombre

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 Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 150% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $928 in Bel Ombre 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.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $125 in Bel Ombre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bel Ombre – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $619 in Bel Ombre versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Ombre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Ombre hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Bel Ombre 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 Ombre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.