Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Temara

For one person, living is cheaper in Temara: $746 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,525
/mo nomad
Temara
🇲🇦 Morocco
$746
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Temara

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $746 in Temara, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,525
  • Temara $746

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $1,155 in Temara, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,390
  • Temara $1,155

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,563 in Temara, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,256
  • Temara $1,563

Istanbul costs about 104% more than Temara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Temara is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 ₺592
$4.19 MAD 40.85
185.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.2 ₺2,834
$30.65 MAD 299
86.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.51 ₺471
$6.02 MAD 58.7
57.97%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₺218
$1.97 MAD 19.20
123.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₺86.6
$0.53 MAD 5.17
230.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.57
$0.34 MAD 3.30
64.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.71 ₺233
$5.27 MAD 51.4
-10.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 ₺304
$3.10 MAD 30.26
98.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₺61.6
$0.82 MAD 7.98
51.22%
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 ₺47.25
$0.74 MAD 7.26
28.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$1.50 MAD 14.64
52.00%
Eggs
$2.45 ₺121
$1.96 MAD 19.07
25.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.56 ₺523
$9.40 MAD 91.6
12.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.50 ₺272
$5.27 MAD 51.4
4.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.65 ₺1,072
$11.29 MAD 110
91.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺90.6
$1.63 MAD 15.89
12.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 ₺113
$1.42 MAD 13.84
61.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.28 ₺63.4
$0.84 MAD 8.16
52.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.1
$0.83 MAD 8.08
119.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.66 ₺32.74
$0.68 MAD 6.59
-2.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.14
$0.74 MAD 7.23
-14.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ₺62.8
$0.25 MAD 2.41
408.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺27.62
$0.60 MAD 5.89
-6.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 ₺117
$4.13 MAD 40.25
-42.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.98 ₺642
$7.64 MAD 74.5
69.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 ₺123
$2.23 MAD 21.70
11.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 ₺174
$2.57 MAD 25.11
36.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 ₺40.77
$0.56 MAD 5.43
46.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 ₺3,228
$24.58 MAD 240
165.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.33 ₺65.7
$0.80 MAD 7.76
66.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 ₺44.60
$0.75 MAD 7.30
20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.91 ₺540
$4.11 MAD 40.03
165.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 ₺70.7
$1.56 MAD 15.21
-8.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.6K ₺2.5M
$30.6K MAD 298.5K
61.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K ₺2.1M
$30.8K MAD 300.0K
40.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.8 ₺4,395
$34.74 MAD 339
155.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69 ₺579
$9.99 MAD 97.4
17.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.09 ₺797
$36.70 MAD 358
-56.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.3 ₺3,776
$23.17 MAD 226
229.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ₺1,125
$5.23 MAD 51.0
334.42%
Cinema Ticket
$8.26 ₺409
$6.25 MAD 60.9
32.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,015 ₺50.2K
$112 MAD 1,094
804.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K ₺1.3M
$8,278 MAD 80.7K
212.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ₺2,636
$31.91 MAD 311
66.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.55 ₺2,008
$44.34 MAD 432
-8.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₺4,956
$81.6 MAD 796
22.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.5 ₺4,630
$81.8 MAD 797
14.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 ₺48.4K
$259 MAD 2,529
276.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₺31.0K
$194 MAD 1,887
224.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 ₺98.0K
$406 MAD 3,955
388.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 ₺56.8K
$302 MAD 2,941
280.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,095 ₺153.2K
$1,180 MAD 11.5K
162.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 ₺88.5K
$935 MAD 9,119
91.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Temara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,213 ₺60.1K
$233 MAD 2,273
420.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.69
4.5
804.22%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Temara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$627
Temara
$194 69.1% $433
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$263
Temara
$185 29.4% $77
Eating Out
Istanbul
$222
Temara
$111 49.9% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Temara
$108 16.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$117
Temara
$81 30.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$93
Temara
$36 61.6% $57
Getting Around
Istanbul
$74
Temara
$31 57.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul versus $259 in Temara. 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 420% 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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $31.00 in Temara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $185 – making Temara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇲🇦 Temara
🕒 Local time
22:59 10:59 PM
20:59 8:59 PM
2 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
313,510
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Temara 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Temara

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 Temara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Temara cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $1,120 in Temara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Temara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $112 in Temara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Temara?
Groceries cost about 42% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Temara?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Temara, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Temara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Temara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Temara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Istanbul or Temara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Temara. 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.

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