Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mostaganem and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mostaganem: $530 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mostaganem
🇩🇿 Algeria
$530
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $530 per month in Mostaganem vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $530
  • Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $858 per month in Mostaganem vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $858
  • Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,186 per month in Mostaganem vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Mostaganem $1,186
  • Istanbul $3,281

Mostaganem is about 66% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mostaganem sits 61% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.42 DZD 458
$12.30 ₺606
-72.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.46 DZD 3,547
$54.7 ₺2,698
-51.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.26 DZD 571
$9.22 ₺455
-53.80%
Cappuccino
$1.13 DZD 152
$4.40 ₺217
-74.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 DZD 78.9
$1.68 ₺82.8
-64.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 35.98
$0.59 ₺29.29
-54.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 DZD 291
$4.70 ₺232
-53.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 DZD 301
$5.91 ₺291
-61.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 DZD 106
$1.21 ₺59.8
-34.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.15 DZD 19.62
$0.89 ₺43.93
-83.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 DZD 149
$2.19 ₺108
-49.32%
Eggs
$1.24 DZD 166
$2.35 ₺116
-47.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.80 DZD 510
$10.42 ₺514
-63.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.87 DZD 519
$5.65 ₺279
-31.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.14 DZD 1,895
$20.94 ₺1,033
-32.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 DZD 274
$1.90 ₺93.8
7.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 DZD 368
$2.31 ₺114
18.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 DZD 149
$1.28 ₺62.9
-13.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.72 DZD 96.4
$1.80 ₺88.6
-60.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.35 DZD 46.74
$0.65 ₺32.04
-46.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.27 DZD 36.24
$0.64 ₺31.80
-57.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.80 DZD 108
$1.25 ₺61.9
-36.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 DZD 36.44
$0.56 ₺27.48
-51.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.50 DZD 335
$2.37 ₺117
5.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.62 DZD 888
$13.42 ₺662
-50.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 DZD 163
$2.40 ₺119
-49.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 DZD 247
$3.48 ₺172
-47.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 DZD 38.70
$0.89 ₺43.67
-67.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.51 DZD 872
$67.4 ₺3,326
-90.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.54 DZD 71.8
$1.29 ₺63.9
-58.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 DZD 62.0
$0.92 ₺45.53
-50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.25 DZD 302
$10.96 ₺540
-79.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.23 DZD 30.83
$1.47 ₺72.7
-84.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K DZD 4.7M
$50.8K ₺2.5M
-30.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.2K DZD 4.6M
$44.5K ₺2.2M
-23.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.56 DZD 4,766
$88.6 ₺4,371
-59.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.09 DZD 950
$11.59 ₺572
-38.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.47 DZD 1,671
$15.81 ₺780
-21.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.27 DZD 2,985
$77.2 ₺3,806
-71.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.74 ₺1,121
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.36 DZD 585
$8.14 ₺402
-46.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$73.0 DZD 9,788
$1,008 ₺49.7K
-92.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,224 DZD 834.2K
$25.6K ₺1.3M
-75.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.68 DZD 4,379
$54.0 ₺2,661
-39.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.98 DZD 4,554
$40.83 ₺2,014
-16.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.2 DZD 9,271
$98.9 ₺4,877
-30.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9 DZD 10.7K
$96.6 ₺4,765
-17.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$143 DZD 19.1K
$985 ₺48.6K
-85.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$106 DZD 14.2K
$650 ₺32.0K
-83.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$239 DZD 32.0K
$1,983 ₺97.8K
-87.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$179 DZD 23.9K
$1,180 ₺58.2K
-84.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$957 DZD 128.3K
$3,138 ₺154.8K
-69.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,071 DZD 143.6K
$1,780 ₺87.8K
-39.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mostaganem
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$226 DZD 30.3K
$1,205 ₺59.5K
-81.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
40.92
-87.05%

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

Last update for Mostaganem: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Mostaganem
$158
Istanbul
$260 64.6% $102
Accommodation & Living
Mostaganem
$106
Istanbul
$650 515% $544
Clothing & Footwear
Mostaganem
$97
Istanbul
$131 34.5% $34
Eating Out
Mostaganem
$72
Istanbul
$223 208% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mostaganem
$55
Istanbul
$116 110% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Mostaganem
$31
Istanbul
$93 201% $62
Getting Around
Mostaganem
$11
Istanbul
$77 632% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $143 in Mostaganem 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 432% 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 $26.00 in Mostaganem versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $260 – making Mostaganem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇿 Mostaganem
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
18:11 6:11 PM
20:11 8:11 PM
2 h ahead of Mostaganem
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
145,696
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 49.32 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.06 TRY (100 TRY = 1.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mostaganem Istanbul 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mostaganem
  • 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
Mostaganem vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Mostaganem?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 193%, 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 $794 per month in Mostaganem and $2,325 in Istanbul. 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 Mostaganem, 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 $73.0 per month in Mostaganem and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Mostaganem and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 65% 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 $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Mostaganem or in Istanbul?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mostaganem, where all-in costs run around $530, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mostaganem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mostaganem or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mostaganem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mostaganem or Istanbul?
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 Mostaganem. 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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