Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Guelmim

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelmim: $568 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Guelmim
Learn more

Guelmim Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Guelmim

🇲🇦 Morocco

$568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Guelmim

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $568 in Guelmim, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Guelmim $568

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $924 in Guelmim, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Guelmim $924

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

Istanbul $3,281
Guelmim $1,281

Istanbul costs about 173% more than Guelmim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Guelmim is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.05 MAD 49.22

143.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$25.16 MAD 245

117.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.17 MAD 69.9

28.59%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.02 MAD 19.69

117.82%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.84 MAD 8.17

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.50 MAD 4.84

18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.27 MAD 51.4

-10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.51 MAD 43.93

31.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.86 MAD 8.43

40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.41 MAD 4.03

117.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.02 MAD 9.90

114.71%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.68 MAD 16.36

39.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$8.18 MAD 79.8

27.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.41 MAD 33.23

65.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$8.58 MAD 83.6

144.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.26 MAD 12.26

50.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.19 MAD 11.63

94.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.90 MAD 8.81

42.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.65 MAD 6.34

176.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.64 MAD 6.20

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.60 MAD 5.88

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.59 MAD 5.72

111.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.55 MAD 5.34

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$4.02 MAD 39.22

-41.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$11.32 MAD 110

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.22 MAD 11.90

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.35 MAD 13.17

157.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.69 MAD 6.68

28.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$20.80 MAD 203

224.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.59 MAD 5.76

118.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.60 MAD 5.83

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.18 MAD 60.3

77.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.33 MAD 12.94

10.53%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.8K MAD 330.0K

50.05%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$29.2K MAD 285.1K

52.26%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$24.40 MAD 238

263.16%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.28 MAD 100

12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.03 MAD 205

-24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$25.68 MAD 250

200.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.83 MAD 203

9.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.03 MAD 49.08

61.83%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$70.2 MAD 684

1336.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,880 MAD 18.3K

1259.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$18.36 MAD 179

193.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$15.47 MAD 151

163.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$59.4 MAD 579

66.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$31.08 MAD 303

210.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$193 MAD 1,879

410.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$112 MAD 1,090

480.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$319 MAD 3,112

521.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$225 MAD 2,192

424.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,225 MAD 11.9K

156.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$829 MAD 8,080

114.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$312 MAD 3,047

285.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.5

529.54%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Guelmim: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Guelmim

$112 19.7% 82.8% $538

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Guelmim

$155 27.2% 40.4% $105

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Guelmim

$127 22.3% 43.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Guelmim

$56 9.9% 57.2% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Guelmim

$56 9.8% 52% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Guelmim

$36 6.3% 61.7% $58

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Guelmim

$27 4.8% 64.7% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $193 in Guelmim. 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 286% 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 $25.00 in Guelmim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $155 – making Guelmim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Guelmim

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

17:40 5:40 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

118,318

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Guelmim 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Guelmim

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 Guelmim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $852 in Guelmim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,550 in Istanbul and $568 in Guelmim. That's a gap of about 173%.

Public transport costs about 224% less in Guelmim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guelmim, where all-in costs run around $568, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Guelmim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guelmim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Guelmim. 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.