Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Nouakchott: $820 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Nouakchott
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Nouakchott Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Nouakchott

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$820

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $820 per month in Nouakchott vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nouakchott $820
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Nouakchott vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,322
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $1,824 per month in Nouakchott vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,824
Istanbul $3,272

Nouakchott is about 46% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nouakchott sits 39% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 MRU 99.0

$11.88 ₺585

-79.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.09 MRU 965

$55.1 ₺2,715

-56.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 MRU 239

$9.14 ₺450

-34.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 MRU 71.3

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 MRU 71.5

Cappuccino

$2.30 MRU 92.2

$4.24 ₺209

-45.75%

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

$1.81 MRU 72.5

$1.75 ₺86.0

3.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MRU 85.7

$0.54 ₺26.84

296.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MRU 62.5

$1.26 ₺62.1

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 MRU 11.31

$0.95 ₺46.82

-70.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MRU 53.2

$2.31 ₺114

-42.42%

Eggs

$2.25 MRU 90.2

$2.47 ₺122

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 MRU 246

$10.55 ₺520

-41.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 MRU 212

$5.60 ₺276

-5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 MRU 286

$21.21 ₺1,045

-66.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MRU 127

$1.93 ₺95.1

64.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MRU 75.9

$2.29 ₺113

-17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 MRU 61.8

$1.28 ₺63.1

20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 MRU 44.89

$1.84 ₺90.8

-39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MRU 40.09

$0.67 ₺32.87

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 MRU 35.39

$0.59 ₺29.31

49.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MRU 29.49

$1.33 ₺65.4

-44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MRU 23.83

$0.59 ₺29.11

1.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.91 MRU 397

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 MRU 101

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 MRU 68.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 MRU 98.4

$2.36 ₺116

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 MRU 17.37

$0.83 ₺40.65

-48.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 MRU 885

$66.5 ₺3,274

-66.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 MRU 34.06

$1.35 ₺66.6

-37.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MRU 15.35

$0.85 ₺42.06

-55.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 MRU 149

$10.86 ₺535

-65.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MRU 58.3

$1.47 ₺72.3

-0.68%

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

$7,507 MRU 300.7K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-85.46%

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

$9,007 MRU 360.7K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-79.74%

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

$129 MRU 5,169

$89.2 ₺4,396

44.64%

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

$22.36 MRU 896

$11.60 ₺572

92.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 MRU 2,412

$16.10 ₺793

274.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 MRU 3,539

$77.3 ₺3,806

14.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$250 MRU 9,995

$22.66 ₺1,116

1001.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 MRU 159

$8.34 ₺411

-52.28%

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

$450 MRU 18.0K

$974 ₺48.0K

-53.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,440 MRU 298.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-71.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.25 MRU 611

$52.7 ₺2,597

-71.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.00 MRU 921

$39.16 ₺1,930

-41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 MRU 2,687

$103 ₺5,084

-34.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.05 MRU 1,844

$96.6 ₺4,760

-52.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 MRU 11.9K

$994 ₺49.0K

-70.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MRU 7,063

$629 ₺31.0K

-71.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$726 MRU 29.1K

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-64.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MRU 12.7K

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-72.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 MRU 25.0K

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-48.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

-51.33%

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

Last update for Nouakchott: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nouakchott

$212 26%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 44.8% $95

Accommodation & Living

Nouakchott

$176 21.7%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 257% $453

Groceries & Markets

Nouakchott

$153 18.8%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 72.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Nouakchott

$96 11.9%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 2.5% $2.4

Eating Out

Nouakchott

$81 10%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 169% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Nouakchott

$68 8.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 92.6% $63

Getting Around

Nouakchott

$27 3.3%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 183% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Nouakchott versus $994 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 93% 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 $24.00 in Nouakchott versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $264 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇷 Nouakchott

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

11:39 11:39 AM

3 h ahead of Nouakchott

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

958,399 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Mauritanian Ouguiya MRU UM

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MRU = 2.5 USD

100 MRU = 2.23 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MRU – Mauritanian Ouguiya Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇷 Mauritanian Ouguiya (UM)

Mauritanian Ouguiya exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.05 MRU (100 MRU = 2.5 USD). 1 EUR = 44.92 MRU (100 MRU = 2.23 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to MRU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nouakchott Istanbul 4,970 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nouakchott
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

Nouakchott vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,231 per month in Nouakchott and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nouakchott, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $450 per month in Nouakchott and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% 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 Nouakchott, where all-in costs run around $820, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Nouakchott it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nouakchott – 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 Nouakchott. 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.