Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Phuket

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 Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Ankara vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Ankara $1,393
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Ankara vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Ankara $2,079
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,765 per month in Ankara vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Ankara $2,765
Phuket $3,154

Ankara costs about 9% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 2% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₺493

$4.47 ฿151

121.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ₺2,137

$32.41 ฿1,094

32.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 ₺464

$8.81 ฿297

5.68%

Cappuccino

$4.15 ₺207

$2.83 ฿95.5

46.64%

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

$1.66 ₺82.6

$0.87 ฿29.43

90.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.94

$0.49 ฿16.67

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 ₺257

$2.56 ฿86.4

101.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₺292

$3.68 ฿124

58.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺59.9

$1.66 ฿56.0

-27.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₺49.46

$1.46 ฿49.35

-32.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺107

$1.50 ฿50.6

43.33%

Eggs

$2.69 ₺134

$2.09 ฿70.5

28.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 ₺510

$19.07 ฿644

-46.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 ₺272

$3.30 ฿111

65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 ₺1,013

$10.91 ฿368

86.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.0

$2.93 ฿99.0

-34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.69 ฿57.1

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ₺63.2

$2.25 ฿75.8

-43.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₺81.7

$2.08 ฿70.1

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺33.28

$1.51 ฿51.0

-55.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₺28.55

$1.38 ฿46.56

-58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₺51.3

$1.07 ฿35.99

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₺31.69

$0.52 ฿17.52

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₺109

$4.20 ฿142

-47.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₺621

$18.79 ฿634

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.82 ฿61.5

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₺155

$2.84 ฿95.9

9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.87

$1.45 ฿49.03

-43.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 ₺591

$56.7 ฿1,913

-79.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺63.8

$3.02 ฿102

-57.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₺40.61

$1.02 ฿34.36

-20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 ₺322

$3.69 ฿125

75.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₺69.7

$1.47 ฿49.81

-4.76%

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

$47.9K ₺2.4M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

79.00%

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

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

51.14%

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

$93.1 ₺4,639

$96.4 ฿3,254

-3.38%

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

$10.72 ₺534

$11.26 ฿380

-4.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₺891

$16.85 ฿569

6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₺3,597

$67.2 ฿2,270

7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 ₺765

$10.73 ฿362

42.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 ₺401

$7.50 ฿253

7.20%

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

$1,032 ₺51.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

116.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ₺955.7K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

70.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,659

$62.4 ฿2,106

-14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 ₺2,407

$28.41 ฿959

70.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,196

$94.3 ฿3,184

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ₺4,786

$85.8 ฿2,898

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 ₺38.1K

$716 ฿24.2K

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.4K

$491 ฿16.6K

15.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 ₺56.2K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-41.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₺44.5K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,678 ₺83.6K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-59.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 ₺57.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-61.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,053 ₺52.5K

$502 ฿17.0K

109.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

5.57

682.23%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 13.7% $78

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$254 18.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 4.9% $12

Eating Out

Ankara

$204 14.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$122 8.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 2.3% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 6.8% $6

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 244% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Ankara versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ankara are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Ankara versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Ankara vs $266 in Phuket – so Ankara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

4 h ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ankara Phuket 7,370 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 9% more than Phuket, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Ankara and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $765 in Ankara and $716 in Phuket. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,032 per month in Ankara and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Ankara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,393 in Ankara. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.