Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,109 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
Learn more

Maputo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Maputo

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $1,109 in Maputo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Maputo $1,109

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,720 in Maputo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Maputo $1,720

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,331 in Maputo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Maputo $2,331

Istanbul costs about 38% more than Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Maputo is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$10.37 MZN 656

14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$63.2 MZN 3,995

-12.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$6.95 MZN 440

31.51%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.28 MZN 144

85.96%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.87 MZN 55.2

101.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.73 MZN 46.29

-26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.60 MZN 101

193.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.32 MZN 147

157.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.52 MZN 96.1

-17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$1.00 MZN 63.0

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.67 MZN 106

38.32%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.52 MZN 159

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$21.02 MZN 1,329

-49.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.87 MZN 371

-4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$5.59 MZN 353

279.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.99 MZN 126

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.79 MZN 50.2

189.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.71 MZN 108

-25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.09 MZN 68.7

68.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.03 MZN 65.4

-34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.75 MZN 47.25

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.96 MZN 61.0

38.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.91 MZN 57.4

-35.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$2.83 MZN 179

-16.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$10.11 MZN 639

33.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$0.98 MZN 61.7

146.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.32 MZN 83.6

168.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.37 MZN 23.45

124.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$23.65 MZN 1,496

180.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$1.60 MZN 101

-15.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$1.19 MZN 75.2

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$24.44 MZN 1,546

-55.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.36 MZN 85.8

8.09%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

62.62%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$22.5K MZN 1.4M

97.48%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$71.5 MZN 4,520

24.85%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$7.75 MZN 490

49.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$88.1 MZN 5,573

-81.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$42.26 MZN 2,673

82.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$26.54 MZN 1,679

-14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$7.88 MZN 499

5.84%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$129 MZN 8,158

655.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$5,162 MZN 326.5K

399.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$49.15 MZN 3,109

7.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$55.3 MZN 3,496

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$77.2 MZN 4,881

33.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$78.1 MZN 4,940

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$536 MZN 33.9K

85.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$382 MZN 24.2K

64.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$1,061 MZN 67.1K

90.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$566 MZN 35.8K

103.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$4,129 MZN 261.1K

-23.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$2,051 MZN 129.7K

-10.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$325 MZN 20.6K

270.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

64.36%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Maputo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Maputo

$382 33.8% 39.3% $247

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Maputo

$225 19.9% 14.7% $39

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Maputo

$150 13.3% 31% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Maputo

$117 10.3% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Maputo

$167 14.8% 43.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Maputo

$58 5.1% 38.2% $36

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Maputo

$33 2.9% 56.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $536 in Maputo. 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 270% 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 $63.0 in Maputo. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $225 in Maputo – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇿 Maputo

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,244,227 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, 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).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.94 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Maputo 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Maputo

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 Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,663 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $974 per month in Istanbul and $129 in Maputo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,109, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maputo – 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 Maputo. 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.