Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oujda and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Oujda: $629 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.

Oujda
🇲🇦 Morocco
$629
/mo nomad
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,550
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $629 per month in Oujda vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Oujda $629
  • Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $988 per month in Oujda vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Oujda $988
  • Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $1,348 per month in Oujda vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

  • Oujda $1,348
  • Istanbul $3,281

Oujda is about 59% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Oujda sits 53% below the global median, while Istanbul is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.95 MAD 38.52
$12.30 ₺609
-67.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.95 MAD 175
$54.7 ₺2,708
-67.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.07 MAD 49.42
$9.22 ₺456
-45.01%
Cappuccino
$1.54 MAD 14.98
$4.40 ₺218
-65.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 MAD 4.63
$1.68 ₺83.1
-71.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 MAD 4.20
$0.59 ₺29.40
-27.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 MAD 25.59
$4.70 ₺233
-44.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 MAD 35.44
$5.91 ₺292
-38.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 MAD 8.46
$1.21 ₺60.0
-28.10%
White Bread (500g)
$0.27 MAD 2.65
$0.89 ₺44.10
-69.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 MAD 17.87
$2.19 ₺108
-16.44%
Eggs
$1.90 MAD 18.53
$2.35 ₺116
-19.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.04 MAD 117
$10.42 ₺516
15.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.82 MAD 37.24
$5.65 ₺280
-32.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.87 MAD 86.5
$20.94 ₺1,037
-57.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 MAD 15.06
$1.90 ₺94.1
-18.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MAD 13.45
$2.31 ₺114
-40.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.99 MAD 9.67
$1.28 ₺63.1
-22.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.98 MAD 9.57
$1.80 ₺89.0
-45.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 MAD 7.29
$0.65 ₺32.16
15.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 MAD 9.85
$0.64 ₺31.91
57.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 MAD 5.01
$1.25 ₺62.1
-59.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 MAD 6.49
$0.56 ₺27.58
19.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.09 MAD 39.91
$2.37 ₺118
72.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.80 MAD 115
$13.42 ₺664
-12.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 MAD 22.45
$2.40 ₺119
-4.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 MAD 26.44
$3.48 ₺172
-22.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 MAD 3.40
$0.89 ₺43.84
-60.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.81 MAD 203
$67.4 ₺3,338
-69.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 MAD 7.34
$1.29 ₺64.1
-41.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 MAD 6.32
$0.92 ₺45.70
-29.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.70 MAD 45.81
$10.96 ₺542
-57.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MAD 14.37
$1.47 ₺72.9
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K MAD 347.4K
$50.8K ₺2.5M
-29.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K MAD 303.1K
$44.5K ₺2.2M
-30.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.73 MAD 348
$88.6 ₺4,387
-59.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.18 MAD 99.3
$11.59 ₺574
-12.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.06 MAD 469
$15.81 ₺783
203.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.92 MAD 184
$77.2 ₺3,820
-75.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.58 MAD 152
$22.74 ₺1,126
-31.49%
Cinema Ticket
$5.22 MAD 50.9
$8.14 ₺403
-35.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$101 MAD 986
$1,008 ₺49.9K
-89.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,710 MAD 55.7K
$25.6K ₺1.3M
-77.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.41 MAD 180
$54.0 ₺2,671
-65.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.62 MAD 445
$40.83 ₺2,021
11.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$54.9 MAD 535
$98.9 ₺4,895
-44.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.9 MAD 496
$96.6 ₺4,783
-47.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$199 MAD 1,942
$985 ₺48.7K
-79.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$126 MAD 1,227
$650 ₺32.2K
-80.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$378 MAD 3,684
$1,983 ₺98.2K
-80.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$264 MAD 2,569
$1,180 ₺58.4K
-77.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$762 MAD 7,425
$3,138 ₺155.4K
-75.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$499 MAD 4,864
$1,780 ₺88.1K
-71.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oujda
Istanbul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$369 MAD 3,599
$1,205 ₺59.7K
-69.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.55
40.92
-88.88%

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

Last update for Oujda: 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
Oujda
$188
Istanbul
$260 38.2% $72
Accommodation & Living
Oujda
$126
Istanbul
$650 416% $524
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oujda
$94
Istanbul
$116 23.5% $22
Eating Out
Oujda
$89
Istanbul
$223 150% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Oujda
$76
Istanbul
$131 71% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Oujda
$29
Istanbul
$93 218% $64
Getting Around
Oujda
$26
Istanbul
$77 194% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $199 in Oujda 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 227% 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 $18.00 in Oujda versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $260 – making Oujda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Oujda
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🕒 Local time
17:47 5:47 PM
19:47 7:47 PM
2 h ahead of Oujda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
494,252
15,701,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oujda Istanbul 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oujda
  • 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
Oujda vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Istanbul cheaper than Oujda?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 146%, 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 $943 per month in Oujda 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 Oujda, 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 $101 per month in Oujda 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 Oujda and in Istanbul?
Groceries cost about 38% 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 $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Oujda or in Istanbul?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oujda, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Oujda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Oujda or Istanbul more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Oujda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Oujda 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 Oujda. 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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