Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,516 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Mexico City $3,490

Istanbul is about 6% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Istanbul and Mexico City sit above the global median – Istanbul by 11%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺579

$10.62 MX$200

9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,732

$48.35 MX$909

13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺469

$10.35 MX$194

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$3.69 MX$69.4

14.63%

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

$1.72 ₺85.9

$1.67 MX$31.32

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.33

$1.27 MX$23.78

-55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$3.19 MX$60.0

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺342

$5.31 MX$99.7

28.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺60.1

$1.72 MX$32.41

-30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺47.09

$3.04 MX$57.1

-69.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.94 MX$36.48

15.46%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺121

$2.89 MX$54.3

-16.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺511

$10.97 MX$206

-6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺269

$9.25 MX$174

-41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,059

$15.13 MX$284

40.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.5

$3.05 MX$57.3

-38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$1.94 MX$36.48

14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.9

$2.03 MX$38.06

-37.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺90.2

$2.31 MX$43.50

-21.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.93

$2.04 MX$38.25

-65.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.21

$1.80 MX$33.83

-64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺61.0

$1.48 MX$27.80

-17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.42

$1.27 MX$23.82

-56.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$5.30 MX$99.7

-56.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺665

$16.10 MX$303

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.98 MX$37.27

17.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺173

$4.25 MX$79.9

-18.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.29

$0.31 MX$5.73

193.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,314

$19.73 MX$371

236.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.3

$1.84 MX$34.53

-29.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.77

$0.53 MX$10.03

62.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺554

$5.30 MX$99.5

109.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.9

$1.51 MX$28.39

-5.96%

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

$49.2K ₺2.5M

$21.8K MX$408.8K

126.10%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$24.0K MX$450.8K

78.45%

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

$87.7 ₺4,384

$63.0 MX$1,184

39.31%

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

$11.28 ₺563

$27.39 MX$515

-58.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺794

$35.67 MX$670

-55.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,792

$58.9 MX$1,108

28.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,151

$23.64 MX$444

-2.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺410

$6.40 MX$120

28.12%

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

$1,028 ₺51.4K

$432 MX$8,111

138.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$11.4K MX$214.7K

127.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,664

$68.2 MX$1,282

-21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,983

$53.1 MX$999

-25.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,985

$108 MX$2,026

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,673

$117 MX$2,204

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.1K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.4K

$710 MX$13.4K

-11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺98.1K

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺56.0K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-20.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.6K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-15.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.6K

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-17.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.9K

$946 MX$17.8K

24.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

11.35

258.50%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 13.1% $82

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 23.8% $61

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 8.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 21% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 22.3% $21

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 66.3% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Istanbul versus $1,113 in Mexico City. 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 25% higher in Istanbul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $48 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Istanbul vs $320 in Mexico City – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

20:36 8:36 PM

9 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 49.96 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.78 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Mexico City 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,003 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $1,028 per month in Istanbul and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,516 in Istanbul and $1,608 in Mexico City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Istanbul costs $1,516 versus $1,608 in Mexico City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.