Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sale

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $635 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Sale
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Sale Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Sale

🇲🇦 Morocco

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sale

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $635 in Sale, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Sale $635

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,044 in Sale, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Sale $1,044

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,453 in Sale, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Sale $1,453

Istanbul costs about 144% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Sale is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.63 MAD 35.42

238.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$17.82 MAD 174

206.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.19 MAD 70.1

28.23%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.76 MAD 17.20

150.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.60 MAD 5.81

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.32 MAD 3.16

84.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.63 MAD 25.63

78.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.05 MAD 29.76

93.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.90 MAD 8.77

34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.65 MAD 6.36

36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.90 MAD 18.57

15.26%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.86 MAD 18.10

26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$11.31 MAD 110

-7.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.89 MAD 67.2

-18.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$12.38 MAD 121

69.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.34 MAD 13.05

41.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.18 MAD 11.48

95.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.84 MAD 8.23

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.90 MAD 8.76

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.68 MAD 6.62

-4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.73 MAD 7.15

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.47 MAD 4.58

165.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.62 MAD 6.03

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.75 MAD 36.51

-36.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$4.74 MAD 46.23

183.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$2.23 MAD 21.75

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.13 MAD 20.81

63.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.55 MAD 5.32

61.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$23.03 MAD 225

192.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.69 MAD 6.78

86.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.50 MAD 4.85

84.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$4.03 MAD 39.30

171.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.48 MAD 14.46

-0.68%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$31.0K MAD 301.9K

63.99%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.8K MAD 300.4K

44.52%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$37.71 MAD 368

134.98%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.53 MAD 103

10.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$40.93 MAD 399

-61.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$16.62 MAD 162

364.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$40.69 MAD 397

-44.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.29 MAD 51.6

53.88%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$104 MAD 1,010

873.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,903 MAD 57.6K

333.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$32.27 MAD 315

67.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$46.59 MAD 454

-12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$71.9 MAD 701

37.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$66.4 MAD 648

45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$208 MAD 2,025

374.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$102 MAD 994

537.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$356 MAD 3,473

456.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$260 MAD 2,532

354.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

178.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$838 MAD 8,167

112.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$516 MAD 5,033

133.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

718.40%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Sale

$102 16.1% 84.3% $548

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Sale

$195 30.8% 24.7% $64

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Sale

$95 14.9% 57.6% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Sale

$98 15.4% 25.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Sale

$89 14.1% 23.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Sale

$27 4.3% 70.9% $66

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Sale

$28 4.5% 63.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $208 in Sale. 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 134% 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 $18.00 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $195 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Sale

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

890,403

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sale 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sale

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 144%, 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 $952 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, 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 $104 in Sale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 Sale, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sale – 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 Sale. 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.