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: $1,177 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,082 in Turkey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Saudi Arabia versus $1,677 in Turkey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,426 in Saudi Arabia versus $2,271 in Turkey.

Living in Saudi Arabia is roughly 9% more expensive than Turkey on average.

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

Saudi Arabia ($896–$1,776) and Turkey ($868–$1,734) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 SAR 24.90

$9.02 ₺417

-26.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 SAR 147

$38.77 ₺1,793

1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 SAR 30.11

$8.07 ₺373

-0.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.91

$3.29 ₺152

12.77%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.74

$1.34 ₺61.9

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.02

$0.49 ₺22.78

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 ₺160

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₺207

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

$1.03 ₺47.55

66.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.65

$0.80 ₺36.94

21.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

$2.25 ₺104

-2.67%

Eggs

$2.59 SAR 9.72

$2.28 ₺105

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 SAR 26.70

$10.04 ₺465

-29.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 SAR 30.14

$5.86 ₺271

37.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 SAR 49.68

$19.07 ₺882

-30.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.30

$1.35 ₺62.3

63.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$2.30 ₺107

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.18 ₺54.6

36.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$1.48 ₺68.6

9.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$0.75 ₺34.78

77.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$0.62 ₺28.53

109.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.05 ₺48.54

18.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.12

$0.51 ₺23.65

11.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.04 SAR 15.17

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.49 SAR 28.13

$2.12 ₺98.0

253.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 ₺507

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₺99.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₺131

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.68 ₺31.32

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.69 SAR 141

$45.74 ₺2,116

-17.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.74

$1.10 ₺50.9

136.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 SAR 10.16

$0.65 ₺30.04

316.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$7.58 ₺351

78.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.19 ₺55.0

-45.38%

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

$25.8K SAR 96.8K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-41.13%

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

$22.1K SAR 83.0K

$44.2K ₺2.0M

-49.92%

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

$105 SAR 395

$70.8 ₺3,276

48.70%

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

$34.22 SAR 128

$11.01 ₺509

210.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 SAR 269

$13.65 ₺632

425.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.7 SAR 348

$49.73 ₺2,300

86.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 SAR 156

$17.71 ₺819

134.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SAR 59.0

$6.31 ₺292

148.97%

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

$348 SAR 1,305

$623 ₺28.8K

-44.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,206 SAR 27.0K

$12.7K ₺589.5K

-43.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 SAR 197

$54.3 ₺2,513

-3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 SAR 216

$43.71 ₺2,022

31.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 SAR 354

$105 ₺4,863

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 SAR 313

$97.0 ₺4,484

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 SAR 1,827

$651 ₺30.1K

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 SAR 1,488

$459 ₺21.2K

-13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 SAR 3,364

$1,180 ₺54.6K

-24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 SAR 2,341

$738 ₺34.1K

-15.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 SAR 8,521

$1,711 ₺79.2K

32.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,238 SAR 4,645

$1,101 ₺51.0K

12.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 SAR 7,296

$1,092 ₺50.5K

78.03%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Turkey: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $419 in Saudi Arabia, $527 in Turkey. Capital cities: $1,083 in Riyadh vs $737 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $1,998 in Saudi Arabia, $1,051 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 33% more in Saudi Arabia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Saudi Arabia.

Salaries are 90% higher in Saudi Arabia, giving Saudi Arabia 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

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

At $1,336 per month in Saudi Arabia and $1,301 in Turkey, there's a 3% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Turkey is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.