Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Turkey Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,427 per month in South Korea vs $1,081 in Turkey, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,251 per month in South Korea vs $1,676 in Turkey, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,075 per month in South Korea vs $2,271 in Turkey, rent included.

South Korea costs about 32% more than Turkey on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

South Korea sits 6% above the global median, while Turkey is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Turkey has a wider regional cost range ($866–$1,732) than South Korea ($1,229–$1,742), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Turkey.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ₩11.0K

$8.92 ₺410

-18.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.44 ₩67.3K

$38.84 ₺1,784

14.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩8,813

$7.80 ₺358

-25.38%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩5,580

$3.18 ₺146

15.72%

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

$1.64 ₩2,483

$1.26 ₺58.1

30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₩1,238

$0.49 ₺22.59

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₩5,414

$3.63 ₺167

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 ₩7,312

$4.65 ₺214

3.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩3,368

$0.99 ₺45.66

124.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,644

$0.79 ₺36.44

287.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,696

$2.13 ₺97.7

45.54%

Eggs

$3.05 ₩4,627

$2.32 ₺107

31.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 ₩21.3K

$9.78 ₺449

44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₩14.1K

$5.70 ₺262

63.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 ₩45.2K

$19.78 ₺909

50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$8.05 ₩12.2K

$1.34 ₺61.6

500.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩5,219

$2.19 ₺101

57.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 ₩9,199

$1.18 ₺54.3

414.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ₩9,128

$1.46 ₺67.1

312.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩5,577

$0.76 ₺34.86

384.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 ₩4,325

$0.61 ₺28.15

367.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 ₩3,858

$1.00 ₺45.86

155.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,768

$0.51 ₺23.31

129.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,882

$2.21 ₺101

45.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 ₩25.3K

$10.87 ₺499

53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₩3,207

$2.15 ₺98.6

-1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₩4,317

$2.82 ₺130

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,641

$0.70 ₺32.26

54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.10 ₩69.8K

$44.97 ₺2,066

2.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 ₩4,952

$1.06 ₺48.55

208.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩805

$0.66 ₺30.23

-19.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩13.2K

$7.61 ₺349

14.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,870

$1.19 ₺54.5

3.36%

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

$27.2K ₩41.3M

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-36.91%

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

$23.6K ₩35.8M

$43.4K ₺2.0M

-45.55%

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

$167 ₩252.5K

$69.3 ₺3,185

140.33%

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

$41.34 ₩62.6K

$10.88 ₺500

279.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.43 ₩34.0K

$14.03 ₺645

59.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ₩77.9K

$49.89 ₺2,292

3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.69 ₩29.8K

$18.02 ₺828

9.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 ₩16.5K

$6.53 ₺300

66.46%

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

$380 ₩576.0K

$626 ₺28.7K

-39.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ₩34.5M

$13.0K ₺596.0K

75.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₩90.3K

$53.3 ₺2,448

11.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 ₩73.4K

$43.13 ₺1,982

12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₩120.4K

$108 ₺4,946

-26.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₩163.7K

$95.7 ₺4,399

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₩931.2K

$627 ₺28.8K

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ₩622.1K

$454 ₺20.9K

-9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 ₩2.4M

$1,175 ₺54.0K

32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 ₩1.5M

$726 ₺33.3K

34.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ₩20.5M

$1,741 ₺80.0K

676.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,411 ₩11.2M

$1,078 ₺49.5K

587.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 ₩3.1M

$1,056 ₺48.5K

96.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

42.38

-90.09%

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

Last update for South Korea: May 30, 2026

Last update for Turkey: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $456 in South Korea vs $528 in Turkey. For reference, capital cities sit at $957 in Seoul and $741 in Ankara.

Average salary: $1,954 in South Korea vs $1,056 in Turkey. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 33% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 158% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 85% higher in South Korea, giving South Korea 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

South Korea vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turkey is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turkey, contributing to the overall 14% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Turkey, but in South Korea 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.