Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mugla and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mugla: $920 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mugla
Learn more

Mugla Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Mugla

🇹🇷 Turkey

$920

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $920 per month in Mugla vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mugla $920
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $1,424 per month in Mugla vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mugla $1,424
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,928 per month in Mugla vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Mugla $1,928
Istanbul $3,281

Mugla is about 41% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Mugla sits 32% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ₺322

$12.30 ₺609

-47.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.60 ₺1,812

$54.7 ₺2,708

-33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 ₺369

$9.22 ₺456

-19.09%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₺202

$4.40 ₺218

-7.27%

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

$1.83 ₺90.5

$1.68 ₺83.1

8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₺25.44

$0.59 ₺29.40

-13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 ₺153

$4.70 ₺233

-34.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₺183

$5.91 ₺292

-37.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₺50.7

$1.21 ₺60.0

-15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₺49.94

$0.89 ₺44.10

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.4

$2.19 ₺108

-11.87%

Eggs

$2.51 ₺125

$2.35 ₺116

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 ₺448

$10.42 ₺516

-13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 ₺211

$5.65 ₺280

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.51 ₺966

$20.94 ₺1,037

-6.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ₺86.9

$1.90 ₺94.1

-7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₺91.2

$2.31 ₺114

-20.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₺47.85

$1.28 ₺63.1

-24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₺73.8

$1.80 ₺89.0

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₺20.58

$0.65 ₺32.16

-35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 ₺16.56

$0.64 ₺31.91

-48.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ₺36.96

$1.25 ₺62.1

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.38

$0.56 ₺27.58

23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 ₺114

$2.37 ₺118

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 ₺464

$13.42 ₺664

-30.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₺104

$2.40 ₺119

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₺106

$3.48 ₺172

-38.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ₺62.4

$0.89 ₺43.84

41.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₺50.5

$1.29 ₺64.1

-20.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₺38.38

$0.92 ₺45.70

-15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.87 ₺390

$10.96 ₺542

-28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₺69.7

$1.47 ₺72.9

-4.08%

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

$42.3K ₺2.1M

$50.8K ₺2.5M

-16.79%

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

$39.7K ₺2.0M

$44.5K ₺2.2M

-10.80%

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

$72.5 ₺3,590

$88.6 ₺4,387

-18.18%

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

$11.74 ₺581

$11.59 ₺574

1.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.53 ₺769

$15.81 ₺783

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ₺342

$8.14 ₺403

-15.11%

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

$698 ₺34.6K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-30.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ₺882.5K

$25.6K ₺1.3M

-30.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.95 ₺2,275

$54.0 ₺2,671

-14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.61 ₺1,614

$40.83 ₺2,021

-20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ₺4,477

$98.9 ₺4,895

-8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 ₺3,864

$96.6 ₺4,783

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ₺20.3K

$985 ₺48.7K

-58.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₺15.2K

$650 ₺32.2K

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 ₺39.4K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-59.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ₺25.5K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

-56.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,394 ₺69.0K

$3,138 ₺155.4K

-55.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$824 ₺40.8K

$1,780 ₺88.1K

-53.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,527 ₺75.6K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

26.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

-7.14%

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

Last update for Mugla: October 12, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mugla

$307 33.3%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 112% $343

Groceries & Markets

Mugla

$223 24.2%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 16.5% $37

Eating Out

Mugla

$156 16.9%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 43.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Mugla

$111 12.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 17.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mugla

$100 10.9%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 16.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mugla

$14 * 1.5%

Istanbul

$93 6% 576% $80

Getting Around

Mugla

$9.9 * 1.1%

Istanbul

$77 5% 674% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Mugla 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 27% higher in Mugla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Mugla versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $260 – making Mugla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Mugla

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

Same time as Mugla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,717

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mugla Istanbul 420 km

From you

Mugla
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

Mugla vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Mugla 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 Mugla, 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 $37.00 in Mugla 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 16% 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 Mugla, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Mugla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mugla – 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 Mugla. 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.