Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey Cost of Living Comparison Between Saudi Arabia and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,081 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,801 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,676 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,430 in Saudi Arabia versus $2,271 in Turkey.

Living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 8% more expensive than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Saudi Arabia 12% lower, Turkey 19% lower.

Saudi Arabia ($923–$1,753) and Turkey ($878–$1,750) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 SAR 25.75

$8.84 ₺419

-22.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$38.14 ₺1,806

3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

$8.02 ₺380

1.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Cappuccino

$3.58 SAR 13.45

$3.33 ₺158

7.51%

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

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$1.29 ₺60.9

-44.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$0.49 ₺23.27

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ₺163

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 ₺213

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.00 ₺47.29

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$0.75 ₺35.42

34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$2.22 ₺105

0.90%

Eggs

$2.49 SAR 9.35

$2.22 ₺105

12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 SAR 27.24

$9.74 ₺461

-25.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 SAR 30.83

$5.77 ₺273

42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.91

$19.39 ₺918

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$1.33 ₺63.1

63.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$2.25 ₺107

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.18 ₺56.0

44.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.48 ₺69.9

6.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$0.76 ₺35.97

69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$0.62 ₺29.58

119.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.05 ₺49.58

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.50 ₺23.80

16.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.28 SAR 16.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.44 SAR 27.95

$2.18 ₺103

241.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 ₺521

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺100

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₺135

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$0.72 ₺34.28

45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.57 SAR 137

$45.34 ₺2,147

-19.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.74

$1.06 ₺50.1

144.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

$0.62 ₺29.25

332.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$7.60 ₺360

71.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.23 ₺58.2

-48.78%

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

$25.0K SAR 94.0K

$43.9K ₺2.1M

-43.05%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$44.5K ₺2.1M

-49.81%

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

$106 SAR 397

$70.3 ₺3,329

50.38%

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

$33.16 SAR 125

$10.93 ₺518

203.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$14.03 ₺665

401.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 SAR 346

$50.1 ₺2,374

83.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 SAR 157

$17.76 ₺841

134.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 SAR 59.4

$6.33 ₺300

149.92%

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

$351 SAR 1,316

$630 ₺29.8K

-44.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 SAR 27.1K

$13.0K ₺617.8K

-44.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 SAR 194

$53.5 ₺2,535

-3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 SAR 220

$43.48 ₺2,059

35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 SAR 353

$104 ₺4,948

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 SAR 318

$97.0 ₺4,594

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 SAR 1,837

$648 ₺30.7K

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,528

$451 ₺21.3K

-9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 SAR 3,344

$1,159 ₺54.9K

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 SAR 2,384

$725 ₺34.4K

-12.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 SAR 8,650

$1,697 ₺80.4K

35.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,028

$1,076 ₺51.0K

24.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,882 SAR 7,065

$1,071 ₺50.7K

75.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.65

42.38

-89.03%

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

Last update for Saudi Arabia: July 27, 2026

Last update for Turkey: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $420 in Saudi Arabia, $526 in Turkey. Capital cities: $1,092 in Riyadh vs $737 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $1,952 in Saudi Arabia, $1,039 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 33% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are 88% higher in Saudi Arabia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saudi Arabia.

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

Saudi Arabia vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,338 per month in Saudi Arabia and $1,314 in Turkey, there's a 2% 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 Turkey: 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 Saudi Arabia is consistently higher than in Turkey across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Turkey, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Saudi Arabia 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: Turkey wins on affordability; Saudi Arabia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.