Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Vacoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Vacoas: $744 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Vacoas
Learn more

Vacoas Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Vacoas

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Vacoas

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $744 in Vacoas, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Vacoas $744

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,097 in Vacoas, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Vacoas $1,097

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,449 in Vacoas, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Vacoas $1,449

Istanbul costs about 108% more than Vacoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Vacoas is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$5.89 MUR 277

108.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$31.22 MUR 1,470

75.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$6.20 MUR 292

48.71%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.61 MUR 123

68.58%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$1.12 MUR 52.9

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.63 MUR 29.80

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.56 MUR 121

83.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.71 MUR 175

59.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.45 MUR 68.5

-16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.73 MUR 34.35

21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$1.15 MUR 54.1

90.43%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$2.28 MUR 107

3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$2.70 MUR 127

285.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$2.55 MUR 120

121.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$11.16 MUR 525

87.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$2.56 MUR 120

-25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$2.15 MUR 101

7.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.44 MUR 67.9

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$3.03 MUR 143

-40.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.99 MUR 46.66

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.96 MUR 45.20

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.73 MUR 34.16

71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.67 MUR 31.34

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$6.18 MUR 291

-61.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$6.20 MUR 292

116.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.44 MUR 67.8

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.33 MUR 110

49.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$1.32 MUR 62.2

-32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$4.27 MUR 201

-69.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$3.18 MUR 150

-71.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$4.33 MUR 204

153.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.34 MUR 62.9

9.70%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

75.61%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

42.34%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.98 MUR 2,117

97.00%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$10.35 MUR 487

11.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$24.84 MUR 1,169

-36.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$25.74 MUR 1,212

199.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$5.12 MUR 241

58.98%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$125 MUR 5,897

704.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$7,480 MUR 352.1K

241.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$31.95 MUR 1,504

68.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$37.68 MUR 1,774

8.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$63.2 MUR 2,976

56.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$47.93 MUR 2,257

101.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$265 MUR 12.5K

271.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$220 MUR 10.4K

195.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$471 MUR 22.2K

321.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$236 MUR 11.1K

400.49%

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

$690 MUR 32.5K

74.78%

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 Vacoas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Vacoas

$220 29.6% 66.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Vacoas

$177 23.7% 32% $83

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Vacoas

$124 16.7% 44.3% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Vacoas

$81 10.9% 37.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Vacoas

$80 10.8% 30.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Vacoas

$36 4.8% 61.5% $57

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Vacoas

$25 * 3.4% 66.9% $51

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 $265 in Vacoas. 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 75% 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 $31.00 in Vacoas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $177 – making Vacoas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇲🇺 Vacoas

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

1 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

115,289

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Vacoas 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Vacoas

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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 108%, 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 $1,116 in Vacoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vacoas, 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 $31.00 in Vacoas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 Vacoas, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Vacoas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vacoas – 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 Vacoas. 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.