Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Flic en Flac

For one person, living is cheaper in Flic en Flac: $1,154 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Flic en Flac
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$1,154
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Flic en Flac

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 Flic en Flac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,154 in Flic en Flac.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Flic en Flac $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $1,870 in Flic en Flac.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Flic en Flac $1,870

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $2,585 in Flic en Flac.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Flic en Flac $2,585

Living in Istanbul is roughly 34% more expensive than in Flic en Flac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Flic en Flac is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$5.71 MUR 269
115.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$53.4 MUR 2,515
2.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$7.19 MUR 339
28.23%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.61 MUR 123
68.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$1.13 MUR 53.3
48.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$0.67 MUR 31.56
-11.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$2.59 MUR 122
81.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$4.05 MUR 191
45.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.41 MUR 66.3
-14.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$0.73 MUR 34.28
21.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.13 MUR 53.3
93.81%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$1.88 MUR 88.5
25.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$5.28 MUR 249
97.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$6.48 MUR 305
-12.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$11.31 MUR 532
85.15%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$1.87 MUR 88.0
1.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.61 MUR 123
-11.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$1.38 MUR 65.0
-7.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$2.88 MUR 136
-37.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$0.99 MUR 46.39
-34.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$0.93 MUR 43.99
-31.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$0.74 MUR 35.01
68.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.89 MUR 41.92
-37.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$6.34 MUR 298
-62.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$8.61 MUR 406
55.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.68 MUR 78.9
42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.24 MUR 106
55.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$0.60 MUR 28.40
48.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$4.28 MUR 201
-69.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$3.12 MUR 147
-70.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$20.87 MUR 983
-47.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.41 MUR 66.4
4.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$36.1K MUR 1.7M
40.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$30.5K MUR 1.4M
46.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$45.51 MUR 2,143
94.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$10.41 MUR 490
11.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$28.42 MUR 1,338
-44.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$54.5 MUR 2,564
41.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$5.41 MUR 255
50.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$127 MUR 5,961
696.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$7,584 MUR 357.0K
237.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$76.5 MUR 3,600
-29.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$74.9 MUR 3,526
-45.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$118 MUR 5,549
-16.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$76.3 MUR 3,591
26.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$551 MUR 25.9K
78.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$491 MUR 23.1K
32.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$1,002 MUR 47.2K
97.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$968 MUR 45.6K
21.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Flic en Flac
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
$665 MUR 31.3K
81.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
6
582.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Flic en Flac: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Flic en Flac
$491 24.5% $159
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Flic en Flac
$209 19.5% $51
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Flic en Flac
$127 43.2% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Flic en Flac
$155 19% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Flic en Flac
$84 27.3% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Flic en Flac
$65 30.1% $28
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Flic en Flac
$22 * 71% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $551 in Flic en Flac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 81% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $53.0 in Flic en Flac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $209 per month, with Flic en Flac cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇲🇺 Flic en Flac
🕒 Local time
20:14 8:14 PM
21:14 9:14 PM
1 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
2,010
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Flic en Flac 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Flic en Flac

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 Flic en Flac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Istanbul or Flic en Flac?
Flic en Flac wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Istanbul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Flic en Flac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Istanbul or in Flic en Flac?
Average pay runs 81% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Istanbul compared to Flic en Flac?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $551 in Flic en Flac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Istanbul and in Flic en Flac?
Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $127 in Flic en Flac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Istanbul and in Flic en Flac?
Dining out is cheaper in Flic en Flac – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Istanbul or in Flic en Flac?
At $1,154 in Flic en Flac versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Flic en Flac but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Flic en Flac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Istanbul or Flic en Flac?
Both work as nomad bases, but Flic en Flac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,154 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Flic en Flac hard to pass up.
How safe is Istanbul compared to Flic en Flac?
Safety-wise, Istanbul and Flic en Flac are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Flic en Flac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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