Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsa and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,870 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Marsa
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Marsa Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Marsa

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,870

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marsa and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Marsa and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,870 per month in Marsa vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsa $2,870
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,982 per month in Marsa vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsa $3,982
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $5,094 per month in Marsa vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Marsa $5,094
Istanbul $3,281

Marsa costs about 85% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Marsa and Istanbul sit above the global median – Marsa by 113%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 €17.61

$12.30 ₺609

60.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 €76.2

$54.7 ₺2,708

56.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.87

$9.22 ₺456

44.69%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.39

$4.40 ₺218

-38.86%

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

$2.17 €1.93

$1.68 ₺83.1

29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.59 ₺29.40

271.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.96

$4.70 ₺233

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$5.91 ₺292

-57.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.21 ₺60.0

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.89 ₺44.10

52.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 €3.74

$2.19 ₺108

92.24%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.82

$2.35 ₺116

82.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 €7.24

$10.42 ₺516

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 €9.42

$5.65 ₺280

87.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €16.23

$20.94 ₺1,037

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 €3.80

$1.90 ₺94.1

125.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 €2.52

$2.31 ₺114

22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 €3.23

$1.28 ₺63.1

183.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €3.03

$1.80 ₺89.0

89.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$0.65 ₺32.16

270.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.64 ₺31.91

215.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.25 ₺62.1

91.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.56 ₺27.58

130.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €6.15

$2.37 ₺118

191.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €7.08

$13.42 ₺664

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.57

$2.40 ₺119

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$3.48 ₺172

-29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.89

$1.29 ₺64.1

326.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.04

$0.92 ₺45.70

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 €23.87

$10.96 ₺542

144.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.47 ₺72.9

4.76%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-24.29%

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

$38.7K €34.4K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-13.19%

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

$103 €91.3

$88.6 ₺4,387

15.87%

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

$25.31 €22.51

$11.59 ₺574

118.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 €38.36

$15.81 ₺783

172.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.84

$8.14 ₺403

22.11%

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

$368 €327

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-63.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,954

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-56.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.3

$54.0 ₺2,671

63.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.78 €36.27

$40.83 ₺2,021

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €87.2

$98.9 ₺4,895

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 €70.0

$96.6 ₺4,783

-18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,428 €2,160

$985 ₺48.7K

146.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 €1,707

$650 ₺32.2K

195.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 €1,999

$1,983 ₺98.2K

13.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,757 €2,453

$1,180 ₺58.4K

133.66%

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)

$3,222 €2,866

$1,205 ₺59.7K

167.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

40.92

-92.91%

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

Last update for Marsa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marsa

$1.9K 66.9%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 66.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Marsa

$329 11.5%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 21.1% $69

Eating Out

Marsa

$275 9.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 18.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marsa

$171 6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 32.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Marsa

$137 4.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 5% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Marsa

$20 * 0.7%

Istanbul

$93 6% 370% $74

Getting Around

Marsa

$17 * 0.6%

Istanbul

$77 5% 353% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,428 in Marsa versus $985 in Istanbul. 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 167% higher in Marsa, 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 $86.0 in Marsa versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Marsa

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h ahead of Marsa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Marsa Istanbul 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Marsa
Istanbul

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

Marsa vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marsa is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,304 per month in Marsa and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, 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 $86.0 in Marsa and $55.0 in Istanbul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Marsa, 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 Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Marsa at $2,870. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – 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 Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.