Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Grand Bois

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Bois: $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.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Grand Bois
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$619
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $619 in Grand Bois, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Grand Bois $619

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,039 in Grand Bois, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Grand Bois $1,039

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,459 in Grand Bois, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Grand Bois $1,459

Istanbul costs about 150% more than Grand Bois, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Grand Bois is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$5.94 MUR 280
107.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$38.34 MUR 1,805
42.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$7.34 MUR 346
25.61%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$2.58 MUR 121
70.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$1.17 MUR 55.1
43.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$0.64 MUR 29.97
-7.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$2.60 MUR 123
80.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$4.82 MUR 227
22.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.53 MUR 72.2
-20.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$0.72 MUR 34.02
23.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.14 MUR 53.9
92.11%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$2.55 MUR 120
-7.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$5.28 MUR 248
97.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$6.29 MUR 296
-10.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$11.43 MUR 538
83.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$2.72 MUR 128
-30.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$2.58 MUR 122
-10.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$1.45 MUR 68.3
-11.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$2.87 MUR 135
-37.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$0.96 MUR 45.09
-32.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.02 MUR 47.94
-37.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$0.73 MUR 34.21
71.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.89 MUR 41.92
-37.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$6.23 MUR 294
-61.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$8.38 MUR 394
60.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.69 MUR 79.3
42.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$2.29 MUR 108
51.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
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
$4.31 MUR 203
-70.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$3.11 MUR 147
-70.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$21.27 MUR 1,002
-48.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$1.39 MUR 65.6
5.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$36.1K MUR 1.7M
40.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$31.0K MUR 1.5M
43.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$45.12 MUR 2,124
96.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$10.39 MUR 489
11.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$29.47 MUR 1,387
-46.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$6.13 MUR 289
32.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$125 MUR 5,861
709.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$7,596 MUR 357.6K
236.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$77.0 MUR 3,625
-29.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$72.7 MUR 3,422
-43.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$120 MUR 5,671
-17.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$75.7 MUR 3,564
27.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Grand Bois
Difference
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 Grand Bois: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Grand Bois
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Grand Bois
$216 16.7% $43
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Grand Bois
$130 41.6% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Grand Bois
$156 19.2% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Grand Bois
$85 26.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Grand Bois
$12 * 86.9% $81
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Grand Bois
$20 * 74.1% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $38.00 in Grand Bois. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $216 – making Grand Bois the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇲🇺 Grand Bois
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
20:10 8:10 PM
1 h ahead of Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
7,804
💱 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 Grand Bois 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Grand Bois

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 Bois: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grand Bois cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $929 in Grand Bois. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Istanbul and in Grand Bois?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $619 in Grand Bois. That's a gap of about 150%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $125 in Grand Bois. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Grand Bois?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Grand Bois, where all-in costs run around $619, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Grand Bois it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Grand Bois more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Grand Bois – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Grand Bois?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Grand Bois. 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.

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