Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sidi Kacem

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Kacem: $667 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Sidi Kacem
Learn more

Sidi Kacem Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Sidi Kacem

🇲🇦 Morocco

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sidi Kacem

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $667 in Sidi Kacem, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Sidi Kacem $667

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,005 in Sidi Kacem, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Sidi Kacem $1,005

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,344 in Sidi Kacem, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Sidi Kacem $1,344

Istanbul costs about 132% more than Sidi Kacem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Sidi Kacem is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.04 MAD 29.60

304.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$18.24 MAD 178

199.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$8.24 MAD 80.4

11.89%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.76 MAD 17.18

150.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.70 MAD 6.85

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.33 MAD 3.21

78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.53 MAD 24.68

85.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.18 MAD 31.04

85.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$0.76 MAD 7.37

59.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.18 MAD 1.80

394.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.82 MAD 17.74

20.33%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.57 MAD 15.26

49.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$5.91 MAD 57.6

76.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.05 MAD 39.51

39.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$10.50 MAD 102

99.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.62 MAD 15.76

17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.46 MAD 14.20

58.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$0.85 MAD 8.33

50.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.65 MAD 6.35

176.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.68 MAD 6.68

-4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.60 MAD 5.82

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.42 MAD 4.13

197.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.62 MAD 6.06

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$3.80 MAD 37.10

-37.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.09 MAD 78.9

65.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.98 MAD 19.31

21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.69 MAD 16.48

105.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.59 MAD 5.71

50.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

$19.30 MAD 188

249.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.69 MAD 6.75

86.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.79 MAD 7.75

16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$3.44 MAD 33.52

218.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.21 MAD 11.80

21.49%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$34.3K MAD 334.6K

47.97%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.6K MAD 298.8K

45.29%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$43.86 MAD 428

102.03%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.74 MAD 105

7.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$42.13 MAD 411

-62.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$29.27 MAD 285

163.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$21.70 MAD 212

4.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.65 MAD 35.58

123.01%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$48.31 MAD 471

1986.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$5,808 MAD 56.6K

340.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.61 MAD 172

206.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$45.98 MAD 448

-11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$54.9 MAD 535

80.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$64.9 MAD 632

48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$298 MAD 2,905

230.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$173 MAD 1,691

274.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$446 MAD 4,351

344.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$278 MAD 2,712

324.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$1,267 MAD 12.4K

147.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$704 MAD 6,863

152.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

5.5

644.00%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sidi Kacem: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Sidi Kacem

$173 26% 73.3% $476

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Sidi Kacem

$158 23.7% 39.2% $102

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Sidi Kacem

$93 14% 58.2% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Sidi Kacem

$83 12.4% 36.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Sidi Kacem

$97 14.5% 16.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Sidi Kacem

$37 5.5% 60.9% $57

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Sidi Kacem

$26 4% 65.8% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $298 in Sidi Kacem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $18.00 in Sidi Kacem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $158 – making Sidi Kacem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇦 Sidi Kacem

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

2 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

75,672

💱 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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Between locations

Istanbul Sidi Kacem 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sidi Kacem

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 Sidi Kacem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 132%, 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 $1,000 in Sidi Kacem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidi Kacem, 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 $48.31 in Sidi Kacem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% 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 Sidi Kacem, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sidi Kacem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sidi Kacem – 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 Sidi Kacem. 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.