Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Grand Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Bay: $1,176 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Grand Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $1,176 in Grand Bay.

Istanbul $1,550
Grand Bay $1,176

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $2,240 in Grand Bay.

Istanbul $2,415
Grand Bay $2,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $3,304 in Grand Bay.

Istanbul $3,281
Grand Bay $3,304

Living in Istanbul is roughly 32% more expensive than in Grand Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Grand Bay is 13% 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

$62.7 MUR 2,951

-12.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.00 MUR 330

31.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.60 MUR 122

69.23%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.18 MUR 55.7

42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.63 MUR 29.89

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.67 MUR 126

76.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.74 MUR 223

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.40 MUR 65.7

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.71 MUR 33.65

25.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.10 MUR 51.6

99.09%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.42 MUR 114

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$20.36 MUR 959

-48.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.27 MUR 295

-9.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$21.35 MUR 1,005

-1.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.88 MUR 88.3

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.03 MUR 95.7

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.44 MUR 67.7

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.92 MUR 137

-38.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.95 MUR 44.73

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.99 MUR 46.62

-35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.70 MUR 32.89

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.56 MUR 26.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.58 MUR 310

-63.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.28 MUR 390

62.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.69 MUR 79.4

42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.04 MUR 95.8

70.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.03 MUR 48.61

-13.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.31 MUR 203

-70.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$2.44 MUR 115

-62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$20.86 MUR 982

-47.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.41 MUR 66.3

4.26%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.4K MUR 1.6M

47.73%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

22.78%

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

$15.73 MUR 741

-26.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$29.36 MUR 1,383

-46.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$57.6 MUR 2,713

33.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.47 MUR 305

25.81%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$125 MUR 5,881

707.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,478 MUR 352.1K

241.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$60.7 MUR 2,857

-11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$62.8 MUR 2,954

-34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$107 MUR 5,038

-7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$86.8 MUR 4,084

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$595 MUR 28.0K

65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$447 MUR 21.0K

45.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$2,067 MUR 97.3K

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$1,476 MUR 69.5K

-20.04%

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

$1,289 MUR 60.7K

-6.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

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 Grand Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Grand Bay

$447 38% 31.2% $203

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Grand Bay

$277 23.6% 6.7% $17

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Grand Bay

$128 10.9% 42.8% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Grand Bay

$143 12.1% 9.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Grand Bay

$91 7.7% 21.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Grand Bay

$71 6% 24.5% $23

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8% 73.2% $56

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 $595 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $63.0 in Grand Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $277 per month, with Istanbul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

11,900

💱 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 →

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Istanbul Grand Bay 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Grand Bay

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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Grand Bay. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $595 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Grand Bay versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.