Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mamurras

For one person, living is cheaper in Mamurras: $951 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Mamurras
🇦🇱 Albania
$951
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mamurras

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $951 in Mamurras, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,550
  • Mamurras $951

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,506 in Mamurras, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,415
  • Mamurras $1,506

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,061 in Mamurras, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,281
  • Mamurras $2,061

Istanbul costs about 63% more than Mamurras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Mamurras is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 ₺609
$5.35 ALL 431
129.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.7 ₺2,708
$36.26 ALL 2,920
50.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.22 ₺456
$3.68 ALL 297
150.54%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$1.02 ALL 81.9
331.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺83.1
$1.50 ALL 120
12.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₺29.40
$0.65 ALL 52.2
-9.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.70 ₺233
$1.46 ALL 117
221.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.91 ₺292
$2.51 ALL 202
135.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₺60.0
$1.95 ALL 157
-37.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₺44.10
$0.59 ALL 47.18
50.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₺108
$1.44 ALL 116
52.08%
Eggs
$2.35 ₺116
$2.58 ALL 208
-8.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.42 ₺516
$8.31 ALL 669
25.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 ₺280
$7.55 ALL 608
-25.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.94 ₺1,037
$10.84 ALL 873
93.17%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₺94.1
$1.24 ALL 99.8
53.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 ₺114
$1.97 ALL 159
17.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.1
$1.25 ALL 101
2.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺89.0
$1.21 ALL 97.1
48.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.16
$1.00 ALL 80.8
-35.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺31.91
$1.01 ALL 81.7
-36.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ₺62.1
$1.19 ALL 96.1
5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.58
$0.63 ALL 50.7
-11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.37 ₺118
$2.99 ALL 241
-20.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.42 ₺664
$5.57 ALL 448
140.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₺119
$1.51 ALL 121
58.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ₺172
$1.82 ALL 146
91.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 ₺43.84
$0.45 ALL 36.04
97.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$67.4 ₺3,338
$20.11 ALL 1,619
235.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$3.56 ALL 287
-63.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 ₺45.70
$3.64 ALL 293
-74.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.96 ₺542
$18.04 ALL 1,453
-39.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ₺72.9
$2.19 ALL 176
-32.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.8K ₺2.5M
$33.6K ALL 2.7M
51.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K ₺2.2M
$24.4K ALL 2.0M
82.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 ₺4,387
$61.1 ALL 4,921
45.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 ₺574
$16.83 ALL 1,356
-31.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.81 ₺783
$16.94 ALL 1,364
-6.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.2 ₺3,820
$60.5 ALL 4,873
27.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.74 ₺1,126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.14 ₺403
$6.04 ALL 486
34.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,008 ₺49.9K
$92.0 ALL 7,411
995.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K ₺1.3M
$2,200 ALL 177.2K
1061.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ₺2,671
$49.28 ALL 3,969
9.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.83 ₺2,021
$55.6 ALL 4,480
-26.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 ₺4,895
$99.2 ALL 7,985
-0.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 ₺4,783
$146 ALL 11.8K
-33.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 ₺48.7K
$458 ALL 36.9K
115.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$650 ₺32.2K
$290 ALL 23.4K
123.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,983 ₺98.2K
$629 ALL 50.7K
215.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 ₺58.4K
$529 ALL 42.6K
123.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,138 ₺155.4K
$1,821 ALL 146.7K
72.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 ₺88.1K
$1,346 ALL 108.4K
32.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Mamurras
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.92
5
718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mamurras: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$650
Mamurras
$290 55.3% $359
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$260
Mamurras
$205 20.9% $54
Eating Out
Istanbul
$223
Mamurras
$87 61% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$131
Mamurras
$158 20.6% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$116
Mamurras
$95 18.2% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Mamurras
$73 22.3% $21
Getting Around
Istanbul
$77
Mamurras
$44 43.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $458 in Mamurras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $36.00 in Mamurras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $205 – making Mamurras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇦🇱 Mamurras
🕒 Local time
14:32 2:32 PM
13:32 1:32 PM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
15,284
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Mamurras 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Mamurras

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 Mamurras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mamurras cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 63%, 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 $1,427 in Mamurras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mamurras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $92.0 in Mamurras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Mamurras?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Mamurras?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mamurras, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mamurras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Mamurras more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mamurras – 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 Mamurras?
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 Mamurras. 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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