Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Fes

For one person, living is cheaper in Fes: $675 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Fes
Learn more

Fes Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Fes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Fes

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $675 in Fes, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Fes $675

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,042 in Fes, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Fes $1,042

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,408 in Fes, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Fes $1,408

Istanbul costs about 129% more than Fes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Fes is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.04 MAD 29.68

304.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.52 MAD 307

73.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.09 MAD 59.4

51.40%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.31 MAD 12.82

235.88%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 MAD 5.31

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.38 MAD 3.75

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$3.67 MAD 35.81

28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.20 MAD 40.98

40.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.79 MAD 7.72

53.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.54 MAD 5.26

64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.74 MAD 16.99

25.86%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.87 MAD 18.27

25.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$9.74 MAD 95.0

6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.44 MAD 43.30

27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$9.50 MAD 92.6

120.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.89 MAD 18.46

0.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.57 MAD 15.31

47.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.08 MAD 10.53

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.05 MAD 10.21

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.91 MAD 8.89

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.05 MAD 10.27

-39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.48 MAD 4.70

160.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 MAD 5.51

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.31 MAD 41.98

-45.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.52 MAD 44.08

196.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.67 MAD 26.07

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.16 MAD 30.85

10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.39 MAD 3.83

128.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$10.14 MAD 98.9

564.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.64 MAD 6.24

101.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.75 MAD 7.28

22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.44 MAD 14.00

2.08%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.9K MAD 339.9K

45.68%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$34.5K MAD 336.5K

29.03%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$32.49 MAD 317

172.73%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.33 MAD 101

12.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$35.45 MAD 346

-55.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$26.35 MAD 257

192.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$19.30 MAD 188

17.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.03 MAD 49.00

61.83%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$94.6 MAD 922

965.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$6,313 MAD 61.6K

304.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$19.29 MAD 188

179.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$52.4 MAD 511

-22.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$81.8 MAD 797

20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$56.7 MAD 552

70.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$313 MAD 3,050

214.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$183 MAD 1,782

255.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$539 MAD 5,252

268.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$249 MAD 2,431

373.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$724 MAD 7,062

333.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$342 MAD 3,333

420.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$483 MAD 4,709

149.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fes: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Fes

$183 27.1% 71.9% $467

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Fes

$178 26.4% 31.3% $81

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Fes

$89 13.2% 60.2% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Fes

$95 14% 27.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Fes

$78 11.6% 32.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Fes

$36 5.4% 61% $57

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Fes

$16 2.4% 79.1% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $313 in Fes. 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 150% 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 $55.0 in Istanbul versus $32.00 in Fes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $178 – making Fes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Fes

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,167,842

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Fes 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Fes

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 Fes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul costs about 129% more than Fes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,013 in Fes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $32.00 in Fes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $675 in Fes. That's a gap of about 129%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Fes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fes costs $675 versus $1,550 in Istanbul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Fes. 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.