Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Turkey Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaysia and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Malaysia versus $1,013 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,353 in Malaysia versus $1,579 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,798 in Malaysia versus $2,144 in Turkey.

Living in Malaysia costs about 10% less than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Malaysia 34% lower, Turkey 26% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkey: monthly costs span $650 to $1,707, compared to $537–$1,143 in Malaysia. City choice carries more weight in Turkey.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.18

$9.40 ₺458

-60.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.87 MYR 81.0

$41.48 ₺2,022

-52.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 MYR 20.36

$8.58 ₺418

-41.84%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.70

$3.73 ₺182

-23.06%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.46 ₺71.1

-44.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.50 ₺24.31

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 MYR 14.91

$3.72 ₺181

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 MYR 19.75

$4.42 ₺216

9.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.49

$1.07 ₺52.2

71.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.03 ₺50.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.03

$2.18 ₺106

-32.11%

Eggs

$2.14 MYR 8.73

$2.24 ₺109

-4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 MYR 57.0

$9.78 ₺477

42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 MYR 16.76

$4.54 ₺221

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MYR 36.89

$20.50 ₺1,000

-55.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.45

$1.83 ₺89.3

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$2.03 ₺99.2

-21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.61

$1.06 ₺51.6

145.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.41

$1.39 ₺67.7

12.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$0.57 ₺27.69

108.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.27

$0.42 ₺20.42

207.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.54

$0.98 ₺48.02

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$0.68 ₺32.93

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$2.21 ₺108

94.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.47 MYR 79.5

$11.95 ₺583

62.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 MYR 12.41

$2.23 ₺109

36.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MYR 16.16

$2.85 ₺139

38.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.12

$0.83 ₺40.60

-8.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.58

$41.06 ₺2,002

-70.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$1.43 ₺69.7

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MYR 4.11

$0.92 ₺44.64

9.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 MYR 25.50

$7.82 ₺381

-20.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 MYR 2.47

$1.26 ₺61.6

-51.59%

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

$42.4K MYR 172.9K

$42.5K ₺2.1M

-0.38%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.4K

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-15.38%

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

$54.7 MYR 223

$76.2 ₺3,716

-28.22%

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

$10.18 MYR 41.53

$10.42 ₺508

-2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.14 MYR 111

$15.70 ₺765

72.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.49 MYR 153

$53.7 ₺2,619

-30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 MYR 28.91

$20.43 ₺996

-65.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.11

$7.26 ₺354

-32.09%

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

$187 MYR 762

$701 ₺34.2K

-73.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,196 MYR 33.4K

$16.0K ₺779.4K

-48.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 MYR 257

$52.1 ₺2,539

20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 MYR 141

$41.91 ₺2,043

-17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 MYR 323

$97.7 ₺4,761

-18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 MYR 303

$90.9 ₺4,430

-18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,619

$600 ₺29.2K

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 MYR 1,106

$423 ₺20.6K

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,870

$980 ₺47.8K

-28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 MYR 1,871

$690 ₺33.7K

-33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,050 MYR 8,365

$1,703 ₺83.0K

20.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,152 MYR 4,698

$1,082 ₺52.7K

6.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 MYR 3,774

$1,096 ₺53.4K

-15.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

41.91

-89.88%

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

Last update for Malaysia: September 14, 2026

Last update for Turkey: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $387 in Malaysia, $447 in Turkey. Capital cities: $611 in Kuala Lumpur vs $750 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $895 in Malaysia, $1,052 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 70% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 108% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 18% higher in Turkey.

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 $840 per month in Malaysia and $1,179 in Turkey, there's a 40% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Malaysia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Turkey is consistently higher than in Malaysia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Malaysia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Turkey it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Malaysia wins on affordability; Turkey may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.