Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Malatya

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $690 a month against $1,397 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,397
/mo nomad
Malatya
🇹🇷 Turkey
$690
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Malatya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ankara and in Malatya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ankara vs $690 in Malatya, rent included.

  • Ankara $1,397
  • Malatya $690

A couple spends around $2,075 per month in Ankara vs $1,039 in Malatya, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,075
  • Malatya $1,039

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Ankara vs $1,389 in Malatya, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,753
  • Malatya $1,389

Ankara costs about 103% more than Malatya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 4% above the global median, while Malatya is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.10 ₺500
$4.67 ₺231
116.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 ₺2,130
$25.82 ₺1,278
66.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 ₺489
$6.96 ₺345
41.81%
Cappuccino
$4.17 ₺206
$1.64 ₺81.1
154.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₺86.2
$0.92 ₺45.75
89.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₺38.35
$0.29 ₺14.35
165.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.12 ₺254
$2.30 ₺114
122.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.21 ₺308
$3.49 ₺173
77.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 ₺57.2
$0.80 ₺39.72
45.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 ₺46.15
$0.78 ₺38.78
19.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 ₺114
$2.68 ₺133
-14.18%
Eggs
$2.66 ₺132
$1.77 ₺87.4
50.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.07 ₺499
$7.94 ₺393
26.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.53 ₺274
$2.41 ₺119
129.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.03 ₺992
$16.71 ₺827
19.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.97 ₺97.7
$1.59 ₺78.8
23.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 ₺107
$1.53 ₺75.8
41.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 ₺65.6
$0.84 ₺41.57
58.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₺83.0
$0.76 ₺37.60
121.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 ₺31.18
$0.44 ₺21.62
43.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.54 ₺26.73
$0.34 ₺17.02
58.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₺49.86
$0.53 ₺26.06
90.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₺34.25
$0.45 ₺22.26
53.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.16 ₺107
$1.99 ₺98.6
8.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.54 ₺621
$11.97 ₺592
4.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₺112
$1.98 ₺97.8
14.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 ₺160
$2.25 ₺112
43.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 ₺34.62
$0.27 ₺13.26
159.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.35 ₺611
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.29 ₺64.1
$0.89 ₺44.07
44.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 ₺39.43
$0.45 ₺22.51
77.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.79 ₺336
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₺71.4
$1.35 ₺66.8
6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.0K ₺2.4M
$37.8K ₺1.9M
26.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.7K ₺2.1M
$36.8K ₺1.8M
13.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.9 ₺4,600
$30.31 ₺1,501
206.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.81 ₺535
$9.97 ₺494
8.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.73 ₺878
$14.28 ₺707
24.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.5 ₺3,589
$34.88 ₺1,727
107.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.27 ₺756
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.09 ₺400
$5.29 ₺262
52.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,038 ₺51.4K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.5K ₺966.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ₺2,656
$15.28 ₺756
251.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.13 ₺2,383
$71.1 ₺3,520
-32.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 ₺5,149
$50.7 ₺2,512
104.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.3 ₺4,815
$30.33 ₺1,502
220.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$747 ₺37.0K
$317 ₺15.7K
135.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 ₺28.2K
$217 ₺10.7K
162.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,140 ₺56.5K
$430 ₺21.3K
165.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$873 ₺43.2K
$296 ₺14.7K
194.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,674 ₺82.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,174 ₺58.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ankara
Malatya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,068 ₺52.9K
$921 ₺45.6K
16.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.57
43
1.33%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Malatya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ankara
$569
Malatya
$217 61.8% $352
Groceries & Markets
Ankara
$253
Malatya
$192 24.3% $62
Eating Out
Ankara
$209
Malatya
$101 51.4% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
$136
Malatya
$75 44.7% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
$121
Malatya
$55 55.1% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
$89
Malatya
$45 48.7% $43
Getting Around
Ankara
$20
Malatya
$4.2 * 79.3% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $747 in Ankara versus $317 in Malatya. 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 16% higher in Ankara, 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 $43.00 in Ankara versus $26.00 in Malatya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $192 – making Malatya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Ankara
🇹🇷 Malatya
🕒 Local time
22:59 10:59 PM
22:59 10:59 PM
Same time as Ankara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,864,049 Capital
781,305
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ankara Malatya 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ankara
  • Malatya

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
Ankara vs Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ankara or Malatya?
Ankara costs about 103% more than Malatya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ankara and in Malatya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ankara and $1,035 in Malatya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ankara or Malatya?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Malatya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Ankara compared to Malatya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,397 in Ankara and $690 in Malatya. That's a gap of about 103%.
Are groceries more expensive in Ankara or in Malatya?
Groceries cost about 32% more in Ankara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Ankara or in Malatya?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malatya, where all-in costs run around $690, than in Ankara at $1,397. In Malatya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ankara or Malatya?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malatya costs $690 versus $1,397 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ankara compared to Malatya?
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.
Should I move to Ankara or to Malatya?
If budget matters most, go with Malatya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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