Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mazar-i-Sharif

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $297 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
Learn more

Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $297 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Mazar-i-Sharif $297

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $470 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Mazar-i-Sharif $470

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $643 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Mazar-i-Sharif $643

Istanbul costs about 414% more than Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$2.31 ؋149

414.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$15.68 ؋1,015

251.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$3.90 ؋252

134.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 ؋487

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 ؋503

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.19 ؋77.3

256.30%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.56 ؋36.07

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.32 ؋20.97

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.60 ؋38.87

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.15 ؋9.41

533.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.15 ؋139

7.44%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.59 ؋103

55.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$7.92 ؋513

33.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$3.37 ؋218

66.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$6.23 ؋404

240.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$0.59 ؋38.23

227.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.17 ؋76.0

95.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.81 ؋52.6

58.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.61 ؋39.57

201.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.51 ؋33.06

31.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.40 ؋25.83

47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.52 ؋33.75

155.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.32 ؋20.76

84.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$1.56 ؋101

51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.80 ؋52.0

3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$1.52 ؋98.7

614.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.49 ؋96.3

-1.34%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$9,933 ؋643.3K

419.70%

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 ₺4,396

$83.8 ؋5,425

6.52%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$16.94 ؋1,097

-31.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$11.69 ؋757

560.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$3.91 ؋253

479.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$4.72 ؋306

76.69%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$78.1 ؋5,058

1146.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$13.14 ؋851

301.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$18.75 ؋1,214

415.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

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

$231 ؋15.0K

421.19%

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$106 36.2% 59.7% $158

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$48 16.3% 78% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.9% 89.1% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$101 * 34.3% 13.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2% 77.5% $73

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1% 95.7% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 421% 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 $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $106 – making Mazar-i-Sharif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

300,600

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Mazar-i-Sharif 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 414%, 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 $445 in Mazar-i-Sharif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $16.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 148% 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 Mazar-i-Sharif, where all-in costs run around $297, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Mazar-i-Sharif it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mazar-i-Sharif – 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 Mazar-i-Sharif. 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.