Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Mohammedia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mohammedia: $677 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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 Mohammedia
Learn more

Mohammedia Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Mohammedia

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$677

/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 $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $677 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Mohammedia $677

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,076 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Mohammedia $1,076

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $1,475 in Mohammedia, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Mohammedia $1,475

Istanbul costs about 126% more than Mohammedia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Mohammedia is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$3.92 TND 11.70

203.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,715

$20.15 TND 60.1

173.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$4.85 TND 14.48

88.45%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$1.04 TND 3.09

307.69%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.65 TND 1.93

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.84

$0.30 TND 0.88

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.51 TND 4.49

210.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$1.83 TND 5.46

226.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$0.46 TND 1.37

173.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.82

$0.22 TND 0.65

331.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.55 TND 4.62

49.03%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$1.52 TND 4.55

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$10.92 TND 32.58

-3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$5.99 TND 17.89

-6.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$13.88 TND 41.41

52.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.98 TND 5.90

-2.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$3.69 TND 11.02

-37.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.04 TND 3.09

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$0.65 TND 1.93

183.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.87

$0.77 TND 2.30

-12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$0.59 TND 1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.53 TND 1.58

150.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.11

$0.30 TND 0.91

96.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.53 TND 10.53

-33.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$6.65 TND 19.85

102.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.05 TND 3.14

130.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.34 TND 3.99

164.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.65

$0.33 TND 0.98

151.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,274

$9.83 TND 29.32

575.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.30 TND 0.89

350.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.06

$0.35 TND 1.05

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$3.95 TND 11.78

174.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$0.82 TND 2.44

79.27%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$38.9K TND 116.1K

32.72%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$35.4K TND 105.6K

25.55%

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

$89.2 ₺4,396

$55.6 TND 166

60.47%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$9.81 TND 29.27

18.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$22.49 TND 67.1

-28.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,806

$26.80 TND 80.0

188.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$10.65 TND 31.78

112.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.90 TND 17.61

41.36%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$93.3 TND 279

943.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,836 TND 8,464

808.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$41.34 TND 123

27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,930

$65.6 TND 196

-40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,084

$95.7 TND 286

7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,760

$59.9 TND 179

61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$209 TND 625

374.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$158 TND 472

298.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$391 TND 1,168

417.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$258 TND 771

347.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$952 TND 2,841

231.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$623 TND 1,859

195.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$331 TND 987

263.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

10.67

285.10%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mohammedia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Mohammedia

$158 23.2% 74.9% $471

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Mohammedia

$193 28.3% 26.8% $71

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Mohammedia

$73 10.7% 66.4% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Mohammedia

$118 17.3% 10% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Mohammedia

$88 12.9% 24.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Mohammedia

$39 5.7% 58.9% $55

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Mohammedia

$13 1.9% 82.5% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $209 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 264% 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 $20.00 in Mohammedia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $193 – making Mohammedia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇹🇳 Mohammedia

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

66,593

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.98 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Mohammedia 1,700 km ≈ 2 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 126%, 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 $1,015 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 $974 per month in Istanbul and $93.3 in Mohammedia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mohammedia, where all-in costs run around $677, than in Istanbul at $1,526. 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.