Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Marrakech

For one person, living is cheaper in Marrakech: $872 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
Learn more

Marrakech Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Marrakech

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $872 in Marrakech, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Marrakech $872

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,299 in Marrakech, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Marrakech $1,299

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,726 in Marrakech, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Marrakech $1,726

Istanbul costs about 75% more than Marrakech, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Marrakech is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.44 MAD 33.53

245.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$30.44 MAD 296

80.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.88 MAD 57.3

55.44%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.14 MAD 20.85

98.13%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.85 MAD 17.96

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.59 MAD 5.79

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$6.56 MAD 63.9

-28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$5.55 MAD 54.0

7.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.80 MAD 7.79

57.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.78 MAD 7.61

21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.50 MAD 14.56

54.00%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.93 MAD 18.82

27.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.51 MAD 73.1

40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.14 MAD 50.0

8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$11.06 MAD 108

91.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.59 MAD 15.52

21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.32 MAD 12.84

73.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.92 MAD 8.99

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.76 MAD 7.37

142.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$0.66 MAD 6.39

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.77 MAD 7.51

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.22 MAD 2.14

504.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.59 MAD 5.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$4.00 MAD 38.93

-41.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$7.55 MAD 73.5

78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$2.16 MAD 21.04

12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.16 MAD 30.77

12.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.39 MAD 3.76

112.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$24.95 MAD 243

166.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.80 MAD 7.81

68.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$0.57 MAD 5.59

49.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$6.97 MAD 67.9

55.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.44 MAD 13.98

2.08%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$33.1K MAD 322.4K

55.91%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$29.1K MAD 283.0K

52.89%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$34.25 MAD 333

160.50%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$8.91 MAD 86.8

30.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$36.28 MAD 353

-55.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$27.95 MAD 272

176.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$20.22 MAD 197

12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.44 MAD 62.7

29.50%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$98.8 MAD 962

885.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$8,253 MAD 80.3K

212.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$30.84 MAD 300

70.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$44.10 MAD 429

-11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$79.5 MAD 774

29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$80.0 MAD 779

20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$459 MAD 4,473

116.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$299 MAD 2,915

110.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$705 MAD 6,866

187.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$437 MAD 4,253

164.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$1,846 MAD 18.0K

71.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$899 MAD 8,750

104.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$483 MAD 4,706

148.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

4.5

813.11%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Marrakech

$299 34.9% 52.4% $330

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Marrakech

$178 20.8% 32.6% $86

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Marrakech

$125 14.5% 42.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Marrakech

$106 12.3% 19.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Marrakech

$79 9.3% 32.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Marrakech

$41 4.8% 56.5% $53

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Marrakech

$30 3.5% 60% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $459 in Marrakech. 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 149% 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 $30.00 in Marrakech. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $178 – making Marrakech the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

1,002,697

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 MAD = 10.27 USD

100 MAD = 9.16 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.74 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.92 MAD (100 MAD = 9.16 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Marrakech 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Marrakech

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 Marrakech: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,309 in Marrakech. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marrakech, 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 $98.8 in Marrakech. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Marrakech, where all-in costs run around $872, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Marrakech it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marrakech – 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 Marrakech. 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.