Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Marmaris

For one person, living is cheaper in Marmaris: $1,263 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Marmaris
Learn more

Marmaris Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Marmaris

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Marmaris

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

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $1,263 in Marmaris, rent included.

Istanbul $1,519
Marmaris $1,263

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $1,906 in Marmaris, rent included.

Istanbul $2,365
Marmaris $1,906

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $2,548 in Marmaris, rent included.

Istanbul $3,212
Marmaris $2,548

Istanbul costs about 20% more than Marmaris, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Marmaris is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₺592

$9.97 ₺500

18.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 ₺2,754

$42.47 ₺2,130

29.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 ₺465

$9.03 ₺453

2.55%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₺216

$3.52 ₺176

22.16%

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

$1.77 ₺89.0

$1.94 ₺97.2

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺28.32

$0.58 ₺29.09

-3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

$3.60 ₺181

30.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

$5.09 ₺255

39.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₺62.7

$1.03 ₺51.5

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₺44.17

$1.00 ₺50.1

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺111

$1.98 ₺99.4

11.11%

Eggs

$2.43 ₺122

$2.47 ₺124

-1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ₺526

$8.89 ₺446

17.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.31 ₺267

$4.70 ₺236

12.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 ₺1,058

$19.53 ₺979

8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺93.1

$1.67 ₺83.7

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ₺115

$1.85 ₺92.8

24.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$0.96 ₺47.97

27.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺90.2

$1.38 ₺69.4

30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺34.83

$0.64 ₺32.06

7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.16

$0.37 ₺18.31

72.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₺68.0

$0.86 ₺43.07

58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₺28.94

$0.69 ₺34.62

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₺117

$2.05 ₺103

14.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

$10.06 ₺504

29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

$2.12 ₺107

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

$2.90 ₺146

14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₺44.07

$0.99 ₺49.57

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 ₺3,316

$29.41 ₺1,475

124.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.4

$0.79 ₺39.42

62.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.80

$0.98 ₺49.03

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺556

$4.75 ₺238

133.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₺74.0

$1.43 ₺71.8

3.50%

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

$48.6K ₺2.4M

$46.7K ₺2.3M

4.12%

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

$42.0K ₺2.1M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

4.53%

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

$92.7 ₺4,650

$71.5 ₺3,584

29.74%

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

$11.20 ₺562

$10.18 ₺511

10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺797

$9.91 ₺497

60.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 ₺3,745

$55.0 ₺2,756

35.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 ₺1,151

$18.36 ₺921

25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺404

$7.49 ₺376

7.48%

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

$948 ₺47.6K

$706 ₺35.4K

34.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K ₺1.9M

$18.1K ₺909.2K

103.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₺2,702

$47.22 ₺2,368

14.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 ₺2,081

$32.51 ₺1,631

27.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺5,060

$96.6 ₺4,846

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 ₺4,580

$83.2 ₺4,174

9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 ₺50.8K

$441 ₺22.1K

129.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₺31.3K

$530 ₺26.6K

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 ₺100.6K

$1,104 ₺55.4K

81.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺56.5K

$836 ₺42.0K

34.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,988 ₺149.8K

$1,982 ₺99.4K

50.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ₺86.8K

$1,472 ₺73.8K

17.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,136 ₺57.0K

$935 ₺46.9K

21.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

40.44

-0.05%

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

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marmaris: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$625 41.1%

Marmaris

$530 42% 15.1% $94

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Marmaris

$228 18% 11.8% $30

Eating Out

Istanbul

$221 14.6%

Marmaris

$187 14.8% 15.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Marmaris

$117 9.3% 9.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$120 7.9%

Marmaris

$92 7.3% 23.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$91 6%

Marmaris

$70 5.5% 23% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 5%

Marmaris

$39 3.1% 48.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $441 in Marmaris. 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 22% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $42 in Marmaris. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $228 – making Marmaris the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇷 Marmaris

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

Same time as Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

187,284

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Marmaris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $1,895 in Marmaris. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marmaris, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.

Kindergarten costs $948 per month in Istanbul and $706 in Marmaris. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,519 in Istanbul and $1,263 in Marmaris. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Marmaris. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.