Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Tamarin

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarin: $1,024 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Tamarin
Learn more

Tamarin Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Tamarin

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Tamarin

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,024 in Tamarin, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Tamarin $1,024

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,623 in Tamarin, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Tamarin $1,623

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $2,222 in Tamarin, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Tamarin $2,222

Istanbul costs about 51% more than Tamarin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Tamarin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.64 MUR 266

118.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$32.00 MUR 1,507

70.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.05 MUR 332

30.78%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.57 MUR 121

71.21%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.18 MUR 55.5

42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.67 MUR 31.34

-11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.66 MUR 125

76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$4.87 MUR 229

21.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.52 MUR 71.7

-20.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.22 MUR 10.37

304.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.14 MUR 53.9

92.11%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.48 MUR 117

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$3.90 MUR 184

167.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$6.34 MUR 299

-10.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.06 MUR 521

89.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.12 MUR 99.6

-10.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.19 MUR 103

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.45 MUR 68.1

-11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$2.90 MUR 137

-37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.95 MUR 44.96

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.00 MUR 46.91

-36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.70 MUR 32.73

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.87 MUR 41.10

-35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$5.99 MUR 282

-60.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$8.62 MUR 406

55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.62 MUR 76.5

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$1.87 MUR 88.2

86.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.87 MUR 41.12

2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.26 MUR 201

-69.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.10 MUR 146

-70.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$6.42 MUR 302

70.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.35 MUR 63.6

8.89%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.5K MUR 1.4M

72.38%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$30.6K MUR 1.4M

45.55%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.88 MUR 2,113

97.44%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.38 MUR 489

11.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$29.37 MUR 1,383

-46.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$40.56 MUR 1,910

90.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$6.24 MUR 294

30.45%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$124 MUR 5,855

710.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$3,087 MUR 145.3K

728.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$64.1 MUR 3,016

-15.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$53.0 MUR 2,497

-23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$83.2 MUR 3,916

18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$58.1 MUR 2,736

66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$937 MUR 44.1K

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$420 MUR 19.8K

54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$1,603 MUR 75.5K

23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$839 MUR 39.5K

40.64%

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

$826 MUR 38.9K

46.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

6.67

513.49%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Tamarin

$420 41% 35.4% $230

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Tamarin

$200 19.5% 23.1% $60

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Tamarin

$128 12.5% 42.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Tamarin

$116 11.4% 11% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Tamarin

$85 8.3% 27.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Tamarin

$53 5.2% 43.2% $40

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Tamarin

$23 * 2.3% 69.8% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $937 in Tamarin. 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 46% 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 $32.00 in Tamarin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $200 – making Tamarin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Tamarin

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

4,371

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Tamarin 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Tamarin

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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 51%, 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 $1,536 in Tamarin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tamarin, 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 $32.00 in Tamarin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 Tamarin, where all-in costs run around $1,024, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Tamarin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tamarin – 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 Tamarin. 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.