Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaysia: $923 a month against $1,218 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Malaysia
Learn more

Malaysia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Turkey
Learn more

Turkey Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$923

/mo nomad

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaysia and in Turkey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Malaysia versus $1,218 in Turkey.

Malaysia $923
Turkey $1,218

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Malaysia versus $1,864 in Turkey.

Malaysia $1,395
Turkey $1,864

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Malaysia versus $2,511 in Turkey.

Malaysia $1,867
Turkey $2,511

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkey: monthly costs span $672 to $1,746, compared to $534–$1,304 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Turkey.

Living in Malaysia costs about 24% less than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Malaysia 32% lower, Turkey 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 MYR 14.93

$9.64 ₺482

-62.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.90 MYR 81.1

$40.58 ₺2,030

-50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MYR 20.15

$9.13 ₺457

-45.78%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.35

$3.64 ₺182

-23.35%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.33

$1.53 ₺76.5

-46.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.53 ₺26.68

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 MYR 15.07

$3.90 ₺195

-5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.97

$5.09 ₺255

-3.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$1.03 ₺51.4

83.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.03 ₺51.5

0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.85

$2.17 ₺108

-34.10%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.57

$2.23 ₺111

-5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 MYR 54.8

$9.86 ₺493

36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 MYR 16.49

$4.81 ₺241

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 MYR 34.72

$20.34 ₺1,017

-58.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$1.86 ₺92.9

60.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$1.94 ₺97.1

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.85

$1.06 ₺53.1

150.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.40

$1.38 ₺68.8

13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.80

$0.59 ₺29.45

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.27

$0.45 ₺22.63

186.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$1.00 ₺50.2

17.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.65 ₺32.62

-13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.79

$2.28 ₺114

91.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 MYR 78.8

$12.15 ₺608

59.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.66

$2.23 ₺112

28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MYR 16.65

$2.84 ₺142

43.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.87

$0.78 ₺39.08

-8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.4

$41.31 ₺2,066

-70.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.34 ₺66.9

-9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 4.04

$0.93 ₺46.55

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 MYR 25.24

$7.94 ₺397

-22.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$1.34 ₺67.1

-49.25%

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

$46.6K MYR 189.8K

$46.0K ₺2.3M

1.17%

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

$35.8K MYR 145.8K

$41.1K ₺2.1M

-12.94%

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

$53.8 MYR 219

$75.6 ₺3,783

-28.90%

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

$10.10 MYR 41.16

$10.41 ₺521

-2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 MYR 110

$15.98 ₺799

69.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 MYR 154

$56.4 ₺2,819

-32.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.99 MYR 28.48

$20.77 ₺1,039

-66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.45

$7.09 ₺355

-29.20%

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

$211 MYR 861

$702 ₺35.1K

-69.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MYR 50.7K

$23.1K ₺1.2M

-46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 MYR 254

$54.1 ₺2,706

15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.45 MYR 140

$43.22 ₺2,162

-20.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 MYR 328

$100 ₺5,023

-19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 MYR 290

$95.1 ₺4,756

-25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,860

$616 ₺30.8K

-25.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,179

$436 ₺21.8K

-33.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 MYR 3,311

$1,018 ₺50.9K

-20.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,046

$716 ₺35.8K

-29.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,449

$1,689 ₺84.5K

22.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,254 MYR 5,111

$1,138 ₺56.9K

10.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 MYR 3,835

$1,081 ₺54.1K

-12.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

41.56

-89.82%

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

Last update for Malaysia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Turkey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malaysia

$289 31.4%

Turkey

$436 35.8% 50.7% $147

Groceries & Markets

Malaysia

$251 27.2%

Turkey

$241 19.8% 4.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Malaysia

$112 12.1%

Turkey

$132 10.8% 17.8% $20

Eating Out

Malaysia

$111 12%

Turkey

$186 15.3% 68.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaysia

$91 9.9%

Turkey

$102 8.4% 12.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Malaysia

$48 5.2%

Turkey

$71 5.8% 47.5% $23

Getting Around

Malaysia

$21 2.3%

Turkey

$50 4.1% 136% $29

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $413 in Malaysia, $459 in Turkey. Capital cities: $687 in Kuala Lumpur vs $748 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $901 in Malaysia, $1,044 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 75% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 154% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 16% higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Malaysia.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malaysia

🇹🇷 Turkey

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

5 h behind Malaysia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,447,385

85,372,377

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.93 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malaysia Turkey 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Malaysia
Turkey

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

Malaysia vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $923 per month in Malaysia and $1,218 in Turkey, Malaysia comes out about 24% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $459 in Turkey and $413 in Malaysia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Malaysia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.