Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meknes and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Meknes: $683 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Meknes
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Meknes Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Meknes

🇲🇦 Morocco

$683

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Meknes 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 Meknes and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $683 per month in Meknes vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Meknes $683
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,051 per month in Meknes vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Meknes $1,051
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,419 per month in Meknes vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Meknes $1,419
Istanbul $3,281

Meknes is about 56% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meknes sits 49% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 MAD 31.03

$12.30 ₺609

-74.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.67 MAD 153

$54.7 ₺2,708

-71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.07 MAD 59.2

$9.22 ₺456

-34.16%

Cappuccino

$1.21 MAD 11.84

$4.40 ₺218

-72.50%

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

$0.90 MAD 8.77

$1.68 ₺83.1

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MAD 4.32

$0.59 ₺29.40

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MAD 29.86

$4.70 ₺233

-34.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 MAD 35.72

$5.91 ₺292

-38.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 8.11

$1.21 ₺60.0

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 MAD 3.78

$0.89 ₺44.10

-56.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MAD 12.62

$2.19 ₺108

-41.10%

Eggs

$1.85 MAD 18.03

$2.35 ₺116

-21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 MAD 108

$10.42 ₺516

6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 MAD 51.9

$5.65 ₺280

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 MAD 89.8

$20.94 ₺1,037

-56.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 MAD 11.74

$1.90 ₺94.1

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MAD 12.91

$2.31 ₺114

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.26

$1.28 ₺63.1

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$1.80 ₺89.0

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MAD 5.25

$0.65 ₺32.16

-16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MAD 5.40

$0.64 ₺31.91

-14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 MAD 4.75

$1.25 ₺62.1

-60.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MAD 5.37

$0.56 ₺27.58

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MAD 40.42

$2.37 ₺118

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 MAD 80.3

$13.42 ₺664

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MAD 23.23

$2.40 ₺119

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MAD 25.65

$3.48 ₺172

-24.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MAD 3.90

$0.89 ₺43.84

-55.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.76 MAD 154

$67.4 ₺3,338

-76.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MAD 6.75

$1.29 ₺64.1

-46.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MAD 2.91

$0.92 ₺45.70

-67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MAD 43.90

$10.96 ₺542

-58.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MAD 13.87

$1.47 ₺72.9

-3.40%

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

$31.2K MAD 304.3K

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-38.54%

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

$30.9K MAD 301.3K

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-30.60%

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

$31.22 MAD 304

$88.6 ₺4,387

-64.77%

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

$9.45 MAD 92.2

$11.59 ₺574

-18.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.10 MAD 332

$15.81 ₺783

115.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 MAD 278

$77.2 ₺3,820

-63.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.68 MAD 319

$22.74 ₺1,126

43.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 MAD 40.96

$8.14 ₺403

-48.40%

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

$123 MAD 1,202

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-87.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,616 MAD 54.8K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-78.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 MAD 591

$54.0 ₺2,671

12.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.86 MAD 437

$40.83 ₺2,021

9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MAD 909

$98.9 ₺4,895

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 MAD 580

$96.6 ₺4,783

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 MAD 2,599

$985 ₺48.7K

-72.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MAD 1,674

$650 ₺32.2K

-73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 MAD 4,460

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 MAD 2,802

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-75.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$965 MAD 9,406

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-69.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 MAD 5,876

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-66.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$475 MAD 4,632

$1,205 ₺59.7K

-60.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

40.92

-89.00%

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

Last update for Meknes: October 13, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Meknes

$177 26%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 46.5% $82

Accommodation & Living

Meknes

$172 25.2%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 279% $478

Clothing & Footwear

Meknes

$116 17%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 12.4% $14

Eating Out

Meknes

$86 12.6%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 159% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meknes

$75 11%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 55.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Meknes

$37 5.4%

Istanbul

$93 6% 153% $57

Getting Around

Meknes

$20 2.9%

Istanbul

$77 5% 293% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Meknes 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 154% 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 $16.00 in Meknes versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $260 – making Meknes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Meknes

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

2 h ahead of Meknes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,428

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

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).

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).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Meknes
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

Meknes vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,024 per month in Meknes 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 Meknes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Meknes and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 Meknes, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Meknes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Meknes – 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 Meknes. 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.