Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Moka

For one person, living is cheaper in Moka: $915 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Moka
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Moka Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Moka

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Moka

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

A single person spends $1,526 per month in Istanbul vs $915 in Moka, rent included.

Istanbul $1,526
Moka $915

A couple spends around $2,399 per month in Istanbul vs $1,517 in Moka, rent included.

Istanbul $2,399
Moka $1,517

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Istanbul vs $2,119 in Moka, rent included.

Istanbul $3,272
Moka $2,119

Istanbul costs about 67% more than Moka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Istanbul sits 14% above the global median, while Moka is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$6.22 MUR 294

91.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$27.62 MUR 1,307

99.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$6.60 MUR 312

38.48%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$4.21 MUR 199

0.71%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$1.03 MUR 48.77

69.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.30 MUR 14.00

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$2.66 MUR 126

76.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$3.10 MUR 147

92.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.66 MUR 78.6

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.75 MUR 35.26

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.67 MUR 78.9

38.32%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$3.10 MUR 147

-20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$10.41 MUR 492

-46.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$14.93 MUR 706

42.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$2.86 MUR 135

-32.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.65 MUR 78.0

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.31 MUR 204

-70.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$4.29 MUR 203

-57.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.07 MUR 50.7

-37.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.06 MUR 50.3

-44.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$0.86 MUR 40.49

54.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.69 MUR 32.85

-14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$7.04 MUR 333

-66.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$14.82 MUR 701

-9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$2.69 MUR 127

-10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$3.22 MUR 153

9.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.59 MUR 75.3

-7.55%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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 ₺4,395

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

$11.60 ₺572

$4.24 MUR 200

173.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$21.33 MUR 1,009

-24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$20.77 MUR 982

271.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$6.11 MUR 289

36.50%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$103 MUR 4,855

849.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$59.0 MUR 2,792

-10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$32.02 MUR 1,515

22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$110 MUR 5,219

-6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$83.0 MUR 3,928

16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$511 MUR 24.2K

94.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$317 MUR 15.0K

98.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$896 MUR 42.4K

126.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$702 MUR 33.2K

64.61%

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

$1,067 MUR 50.5K

12.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

584.83%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Moka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Moka

$317 34.5% 49.6% $312

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Moka

$269 * 29.4% 2.1% $5.5

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Moka

$145 15.8% 33.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Moka

$128 13.9% 2.5% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Moka

$26 * 2.8% 78.1% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Moka

$33 3.6% 64.9% $61

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Moka

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Istanbul versus $511 in Moka. 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 13% 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 $28.00 in Moka. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Istanbul vs $269 in Moka – so Istanbul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Moka

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

9,364

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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 = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 47.31 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 53.01 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Moka 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Moka

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 Moka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,289 per month in Istanbul and $1,373 in Moka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $28.00 in Moka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Istanbul – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moka, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Moka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moka – 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 Moka. 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.