Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,799 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mahé

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,799 in Mahé, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Mahé $1,799

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $2,618 in Mahé, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Mahé $2,618

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $3,438 in Mahé, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Mahé $3,438

Istanbul is about 15% cheaper than Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Istanbul and Mahé sit above the global median – Istanbul by 14%, Mahé by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$17.55 SCR 254

-32.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$108 SCR 1,564

-48.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.66 SCR 82.0

61.48%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-35.66%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.62 SCR 23.47

8.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$12.68 SCR 184

-63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$9.10 SCR 132

-34.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.58 SCR 22.84

-20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.09 SCR 15.83

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.84 SCR 26.66

25.54%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$4.29 SCR 62.1

-42.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$15.89 SCR 230

-33.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$8.28 SCR 120

-32.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$12.96 SCR 188

63.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.07 SCR 29.93

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.42 SCR 35.04

-47.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-72.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.06 SCR 15.33

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.05 SCR 15.23

-43.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.09 SCR 15.81

22.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$14.50 SCR 210

-83.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$2.19 SCR 31.75

61.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.76 SCR 11.03

9.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$35.50 SCR 514

87.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$14.40 SCR 209

-24.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.48 SCR 21.40

-0.68%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$49.22 SCR 713

81.27%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$21.81 SCR 316

-46.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$105 SCR 1,523

-84.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$52.9 SCR 766

45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.26 SCR 90.6

33.23%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$29.88 SCR 433

76.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$11.99 SCR 174

226.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$47.18 SCR 683

118.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$58.8 SCR 851

64.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$871 SCR 12.6K

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$842 SCR 12.2K

-25.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

14.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

9.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$855 SCR 12.4K

40.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mahé: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Mahé

$842 47.9% 33.8% $213

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Mahé

$246 * 14% 6.8% $18

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Mahé

$324 * 18.5% 48.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Mahé

$67 3.8% 49.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Mahé

$176 10% 50.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Mahé

$65 3.7% 30.3% $29

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Mahé

$39 * 2.2% 48.9% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $871 in Mahé. 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 41% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $108 in Mahé. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $246 in Mahé – so Mahé wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

09:08 9:08 AM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

78,539

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.24 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Mahé 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mahé is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $2,698 in Mahé. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 87% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Mahé – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Mahé at $1,799. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mahé it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mahé makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.