Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mohammedia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mohammedia: $786 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mohammedia
Learn more

Mohammedia Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Mohammedia

🇲🇦 Morocco

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Mohammedia

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $786 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Mohammedia $786

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,228 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Mohammedia $1,228

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,669 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Mohammedia $1,669

Istanbul costs about 97% more than Mohammedia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Mohammedia is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.67 MAD 45.52

163.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.14 MAD 304

75.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.90 MAD 67.3

33.62%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.91 MAD 18.60

130.37%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.76 MAD 7.36

121.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.41 MAD 4.04

43.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$5.09 MAD 49.66

-7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$5.12 MAD 49.96

15.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.98 MAD 9.56

23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$1.11 MAD 10.79

-19.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.80 MAD 17.52

21.67%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.86 MAD 18.18

26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$10.82 MAD 105

-3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$7.01 MAD 68.3

-19.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.92 MAD 116

75.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.47 MAD 14.30

29.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.37 MAD 13.37

68.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.71 MAD 6.90

80.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.71 MAD 6.91

153.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.64 MAD 6.24

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.64 MAD 6.20

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.49 MAD 4.79

155.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 MAD 5.60

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.91 MAD 38.13

-39.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.24 MAD 80.4

62.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.31 MAD 22.48

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.43 MAD 23.71

43.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.72 MAD 6.99

23.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$22.10 MAD 215

205.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.72 MAD 7.05

79.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.69 MAD 6.69

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$4.49 MAD 43.80

144.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.47 MAD 14.34

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$32.8K MAD 319.6K

54.95%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$28.6K MAD 278.5K

55.87%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$49.99 MAD 487

77.26%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$9.97 MAD 97.2

16.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$38.42 MAD 375

-58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$27.81 MAD 271

177.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$20.56 MAD 200

10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$7.37 MAD 71.9

10.45%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$140 MAD 1,361

622.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,644 MAD 55.0K

352.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$54.8 MAD 534

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$46.69 MAD 455

-12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$94.2 MAD 918

4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$80.3 MAD 783

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$255 MAD 2,483

286.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$165 MAD 1,607

294.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$458 MAD 4,464

333.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$263 MAD 2,560

349.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,514 MAD 14.8K

107.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$961 MAD 9,372

85.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$542 MAD 5,285

122.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

3.67

1014.99%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mohammedia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Mohammedia

$165 21% 74.6% $485

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Mohammedia

$206 26.2% 20.8% $54

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Mohammedia

$121 15.4% 45.7% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Mohammedia

$124 15.8% 4.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Mohammedia

$98 12.5% 15.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Mohammedia

$43 5.4% 54.5% $51

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Mohammedia

$29 3.7% 62.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $255 in Mohammedia. 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 122% 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 $31.00 in Mohammedia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $206 – making Mohammedia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Mohammedia

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

18:41 6:41 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

194,358

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Mohammedia 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Mohammedia

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 Mohammedia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $1,179 in Mohammedia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $140 in Mohammedia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 Mohammedia, where all-in costs run around $786, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mohammedia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mohammedia – 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 Mohammedia. 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.