Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Safi

For one person, living is cheaper in Safi: $585 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Safi
Learn more

Safi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Safi

🇲🇦 Morocco

$585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Safi

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $585 in Safi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Safi $585

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $917 in Safi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Safi $917

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,250 in Safi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Safi $1,250

Istanbul costs about 165% more than Safi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Safi is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.04 MAD 29.65

304.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$20.72 MAD 202

164.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$4.55 MAD 44.41

102.64%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.54 MAD 15.00

185.71%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 MAD 5.23

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.34 MAD 3.28

73.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$1.52 MAD 14.82

209.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$1.52 MAD 14.80

288.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.82 MAD 7.95

47.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.47 MAD 4.55

89.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.53 MAD 14.96

43.14%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.73 MAD 16.84

35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$6.87 MAD 67.0

51.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.85 MAD 66.8

-17.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$8.98 MAD 87.6

133.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.15 MAD 11.20

65.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.16 MAD 11.34

99.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.82 MAD 7.96

56.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.67 MAD 6.52

168.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.61 MAD 5.91

6.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.80 MAD 7.84

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.40 MAD 3.92

212.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.57 MAD 5.51

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.72 MAD 36.26

-36.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$7.35 MAD 71.6

82.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.86 MAD 18.09

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.78 MAD 17.33

95.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.44 MAD 4.30

102.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$10.48 MAD 102

543.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.71 MAD 6.93

81.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.55 MAD 5.32

67.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.02 MAD 58.7

82.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.45 MAD 14.17

1.38%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.4K MAD 305.7K

61.98%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.6K MAD 298.3K

45.56%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$35.89 MAD 350

146.89%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.31 MAD 100

12.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$33.94 MAD 331

-53.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$18.83 MAD 184

309.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$5.27 MAD 51.3

331.50%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.54 MAD 34.55

129.94%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$97.5 MAD 950

934.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,667 MAD 35.8K

597.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$39.69 MAD 387

35.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$33.43 MAD 326

22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$93.5 MAD 911

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$36.63 MAD 357

163.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$279 MAD 2,718

253.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$135 MAD 1,319

380.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$466 MAD 4,548

325.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$246 MAD 2,395

380.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$892 MAD 8,693

251.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$560 MAD 5,458

217.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$443 MAD 4,318

172.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

4.55

799.34%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Safi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Safi

$135 23.1% 79.2% $515

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Safi

$166 28.4% 35.9% $93

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Safi

$71 12.1% 68.4% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Safi

$91 15.6% 30% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Safi

$80 13.7% 30.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Safi

$26 4.4% 72.3% $68

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Safi

$16 2.7% 79.6% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $279 in Safi. 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 172% 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 $21.00 in Safi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $166 – making Safi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Safi

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

323,888

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Safi 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Safi

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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 165%, 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 $878 in Safi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Safi, 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 $97.5 in Safi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 Safi, where all-in costs run around $585, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Safi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Safi – 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 Safi. 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.