Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Morena

For one person, living is cheaper in Morena: $312 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Morena
Learn more

Morena Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Morena

🇮🇳 India

$312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Morena

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $312 in Morena, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Morena $312

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $497 in Morena, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Morena $497

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $682 in Morena, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Morena $682

Istanbul costs about 396% more than Morena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Morena is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.22 ₹306

281.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$16.43 ₹1,560

232.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$1.60 ₹152

476.25%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$0.44 ₹41.57

900.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.20 ₹18.95

740.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.16 ₹14.84

268.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.65 ₹252

77.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.22 ₹305

83.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.67 ₹63.8

80.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.48 ₹45.71

85.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.50 ₹47.77

338.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.16 ₹110

102.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$4.96 ₹471

110.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.54 ₹336

59.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.47 ₹140

29.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.40 ₹38.12

477.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.50 ₹47.82

156.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.38 ₹36.33

373.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.32 ₹29.92

103.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.27 ₹25.80

137.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.30 ₹28.13

316.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.28 ₹26.85

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$2.08 ₹197

13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.42 ₹990

28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.19 ₹208

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.12 ₹296

11.54%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.73 ₹639

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.44 ₹41.61

102.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$1.86 ₹176

3525.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.54 ₹51.3

138.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.25 ₹23.62

268.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$1.02 ₹97.0

974.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.08 ₹102

36.11%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$14.9K ₹1.4M

241.75%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$22.6K ₹2.1M

97.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$41.78 ₹3,968

112.09%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.98 ₹473

132.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$7.86 ₹746

101.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$6.95 ₹660

1010.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.07 ₹292

165.15%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$34.52 ₹3,278

2820.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$629 ₹59.7K

3966.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$31.03 ₹2,947

73.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$28.00 ₹2,659

45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$55.2 ₹5,243

79.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$49.35 ₹4,686

95.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$264 ₹25.1K

356.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

8.76

367.12%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Morena: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Morena

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Morena

$109 34.8% 58.2% $151

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Morena

$57 18.2% 74.5% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Morena

$74 23.6% 43.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Morena

$55 17.5% 52.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Morena

$13 4.2% 86% $80

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Morena

$5.4 1.7% 93% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 356% 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 Morena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $109 – making Morena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇮🇳 Morena

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

200,482

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Morena 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Morena

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 Morena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 396%, 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 $468 in Morena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $34.52 in Morena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% 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 Morena, where all-in costs run around $312, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Morena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Morena – 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 Morena. 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.