Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $834 per month in Rabat vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rabat $834
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,433 per month in Rabat vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rabat $1,433
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $2,031 per month in Rabat vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Rabat $2,031
Istanbul $3,272

Rabat is about 45% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rabat sits 38% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 MAD 42.37

$11.88 ₺585

-64.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.69 MAD 404

$55.1 ₺2,715

-26.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MAD 68.6

$9.14 ₺450

-24.40%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 19.00

$4.24 ₺209

-54.72%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.58

$1.75 ₺86.0

-68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.49

$0.54 ₺26.84

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MAD 50.2

$4.69 ₺231

8.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 30.65

$5.97 ₺294

-48.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.53

$1.26 ₺62.1

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.41

$0.95 ₺46.82

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 18.94

$2.31 ₺114

-17.32%

Eggs

$1.84 MAD 18.28

$2.47 ₺122

-25.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MAD 109

$10.55 ₺520

4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 MAD 65.8

$5.60 ₺276

18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 MAD 119

$21.21 ₺1,045

-43.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.78

$1.93 ₺95.1

-17.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.44

$2.29 ₺113

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 8.23

$1.28 ₺63.1

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.74

$1.84 ₺90.8

-52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 7.06

$0.67 ₺32.87

5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.80

$0.59 ₺29.31

33.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.90

$1.33 ₺65.4

-70.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$0.59 ₺29.11

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 40.64

$2.36 ₺116

73.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 MAD 70.9

$13.47 ₺664

-46.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MAD 26.02

$2.42 ₺119

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.90

$3.54 ₺174

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.86

$0.83 ₺40.65

-40.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 MAD 248

$66.5 ₺3,274

-62.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 7.13

$1.35 ₺66.6

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$0.85 ₺42.06

-31.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.64

$1.47 ₺72.3

0.68%

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

$30.2K MAD 299.3K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-41.55%

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

$29.6K MAD 293.6K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-33.40%

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

$35.22 MAD 349

$89.2 ₺4,396

-60.52%

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

$9.44 MAD 93.7

$11.60 ₺572

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 MAD 330

$16.10 ₺793

106.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 MAD 278

$77.3 ₺3,806

-63.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MAD 233

$22.66 ₺1,116

3.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 MAD 59.2

$8.34 ₺411

-28.42%

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

$180 MAD 1,786

$974 ₺48.0K

-81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,210 MAD 91.3K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-64.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 MAD 457

$52.7 ₺2,597

-12.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MAD 388

$39.16 ₺1,930

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 MAD 906

$103 ₺5,084

-11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 MAD 644

$96.6 ₺4,760

-32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MAD 5,171

$994 ₺49.0K

-47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MAD 2,661

$629 ₺31.0K

-57.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MAD 9,485

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MAD 6,809

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-40.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MAD 19.5K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-37.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MAD 11.3K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-38.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MAD 6,893

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-42.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

41.09

-89.00%

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

Last update for Rabat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$268 32%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 135% $361

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$201 23.9%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 31.4% $63

Eating Out

Rabat

$113 13.5%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 92.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$109 13%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 20.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$78 9.3%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 50.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.8%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 135% $54

Getting Around

Rabat

$31 3.6%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 147% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Rabat 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 73% 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 $41.00 in Rabat versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $264 – making Rabat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

2 h ahead of Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.08 USD

100 MAD = 8.99 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 MAD (1 MAD = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 MAD (100 MAD = 8.99 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 MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rabat Istanbul 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
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

Rabat vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,251 per month in Rabat 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 Rabat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $180 per month in Rabat 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 31% 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 Rabat, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Rabat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rabat – 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 Rabat. 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.