Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Turkey Cost of Living Comparison Between Japan and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,243 per month in Japan vs $1,081 in Turkey, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,941 per month in Japan vs $1,676 in Turkey, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,638 per month in Japan vs $2,271 in Turkey, rent included.

Japan costs about 15% more than Turkey on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Japan and Turkey are more affordable than the global median – Japan 7% lower, Turkey 19% lower.

Turkey has a wider regional cost range ($866–$1,732) than Japan ($1,019–$1,684), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Turkey.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 ¥1,082

$8.92 ₺411

-24.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.81 ¥5,580

$38.84 ₺1,788

-10.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ¥901

$7.80 ₺359

-27.95%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥547

$3.18 ₺146

7.23%

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

$1.09 ¥175

$1.26 ₺58.2

-13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥134

$0.49 ₺22.64

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 ¥550

$3.63 ₺167

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ¥663

$4.65 ₺214

-10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥249

$0.99 ₺45.76

56.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥245

$0.79 ₺36.51

93.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 ¥726

$2.13 ₺97.9

112.68%

Eggs

$2.27 ¥363

$2.32 ₺107

-2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 ¥1,942

$9.78 ₺450

23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ¥1,122

$5.70 ₺262

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 ¥3,170

$19.78 ₺911

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ¥858

$1.34 ₺61.7

299.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥420

$2.19 ₺101

19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ¥749

$1.18 ₺54.4

295.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 ¥760

$1.46 ₺67.3

224.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 ¥457

$0.76 ₺34.93

275.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ¥430

$0.61 ₺28.21

339.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.00 ₺45.95

34.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥152

$0.51 ₺23.36

86.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ¥662

$2.21 ₺102

86.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ¥1,328

$10.87 ₺500

-23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥348

$2.15 ₺98.8

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ¥472

$2.82 ₺130

4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 ¥250

$0.70 ₺32.33

122.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 ¥9,412

$44.97 ₺2,071

30.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 ¥682

$1.06 ₺48.65

300.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥463

$0.66 ₺30.29

337.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.36 ¥3,745

$7.61 ₺350

206.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥188

$1.19 ₺54.7

-1.68%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-45.65%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$43.4K ₺2.0M

-59.61%

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

$175 ¥28.0K

$69.3 ₺3,192

151.75%

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

$27.13 ¥4,349

$10.88 ₺501

149.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.95 ¥5,603

$14.03 ₺646

149.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ¥9,452

$49.89 ₺2,297

18.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 ¥2,548

$18.02 ₺830

-11.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 ¥2,079

$6.53 ₺301

98.62%

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

$341 ¥54.6K

$626 ₺28.8K

-45.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$13.0K ₺597.3K

4.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.49 ¥7,773

$53.3 ₺2,453

-8.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 ¥5,281

$43.13 ₺1,986

-23.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 ¥10.1K

$108 ₺4,957

-41.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 ¥13.9K

$95.7 ₺4,408

-9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 ¥96.9K

$627 ₺28.9K

-3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥67.0K

$454 ₺20.9K

-8.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ¥218.4K

$1,175 ₺54.1K

15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 ¥135.2K

$726 ₺33.4K

16.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,620 ¥900.9K

$1,741 ₺80.2K

222.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 ¥490.4K

$1,078 ₺49.6K

183.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,859 ¥298.0K

$1,056 ₺48.6K

76.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.82

42.38

-95.71%

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

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Turkey: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $484 in Japan vs $528 in Turkey. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,094 in Tokyo and $741 in Ankara.

Average salary: $1,862 in Japan vs $1,056 in Turkey. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 17% more in Japan.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 76% higher in Japan, giving Japan stronger purchasing power.

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

Japan vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turkey is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 4% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Japan, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Japan consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turkey, contributing to the overall 4% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Turkey, but in Japan it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Turkey is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.