Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midlands and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Midlands: $621 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Midlands
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Midlands Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Midlands

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$621

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $621 per month in Midlands vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Midlands $621
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,041 per month in Midlands vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Midlands $1,041
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,461 per month in Midlands vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Midlands $1,461
Istanbul $3,281

Midlands is about 60% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Midlands sits 54% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.78 MUR 272

$12.30 ₺609

-53.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.17 MUR 1,797

$54.7 ₺2,708

-30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 MUR 351

$9.22 ₺456

-19.09%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MUR 127

$4.40 ₺218

-38.86%

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

$1.12 MUR 52.8

$1.68 ₺83.1

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MUR 31.64

$0.59 ₺29.40

13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MUR 123

$4.70 ₺233

-44.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MUR 223

$5.91 ₺292

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MUR 75.3

$1.21 ₺60.0

32.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.65

$0.89 ₺44.10

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MUR 51.8

$2.19 ₺108

-49.77%

Eggs

$2.63 MUR 124

$2.35 ₺116

11.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 MUR 251

$10.42 ₺516

-48.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 MUR 289

$5.65 ₺280

8.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 MUR 522

$20.94 ₺1,037

-47.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 129

$1.90 ₺94.1

44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 125

$2.31 ₺114

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MUR 67.1

$1.28 ₺63.1

10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 MUR 140

$1.80 ₺89.0

65.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MUR 43.45

$0.65 ₺32.16

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.23

$0.64 ₺31.91

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 MUR 31.98

$1.25 ₺62.1

-45.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MUR 41.57

$0.56 ₺27.58

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 MUR 304

$2.37 ₺118

173.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 MUR 406

$13.42 ₺664

-35.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MUR 77.2

$2.40 ₺119

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 MUR 111

$3.48 ₺172

-32.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 MUR 199

$1.29 ₺64.1

227.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 MUR 148

$0.92 ₺45.70

240.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.28 MUR 1,002

$10.96 ₺542

94.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.47 ₺72.9

-4.76%

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

$37.0K MUR 1.7M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-27.23%

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

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-30.13%

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

$44.88 MUR 2,113

$88.6 ₺4,387

-49.35%

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

$10.59 MUR 499

$11.59 ₺574

-8.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MUR 1,366

$15.81 ₺783

83.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 MUR 304

$8.14 ₺403

-20.64%

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

$128 MUR 6,031

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-87.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,748 MUR 364.8K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-69.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 MUR 3,657

$54.0 ₺2,671

43.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 MUR 3,433

$40.83 ₺2,021

78.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,712

$98.9 ₺4,895

22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 MUR 3,584

$96.6 ₺4,783

-21.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

40.92

-83.70%

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

Last update for Midlands: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Midlands

$216 34.9%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 20% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Midlands

$157 25.2%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 16.6% $26

Eating Out

Midlands

$131 21%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 71.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midlands

$85 13.6%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 37.3% $32

Getting Around

Midlands

$20 * 3.2%

Istanbul

$77 5% 286% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Midlands

$13 * 2.1%

Istanbul

$93 6% 624% $81

Accommodation & Living

Midlands

- * 0%

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Midlands versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $260 – making Midlands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Midlands

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

23:24 11:24 PM

1 h behind Midlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,546

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

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).

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 MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Midlands Istanbul 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Midlands
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

Midlands vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $931 per month in Midlands and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Midlands 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 20% 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 Midlands, where all-in costs run around $621, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Midlands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Midlands – 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 Midlands. 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.