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 $1,391 per month in South Korea vs $1,020 in Turkey, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in South Korea vs $1,591 in Turkey, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,978 per month in South Korea vs $2,161 in Turkey, rent included.

The cost of living in South Korea is about 36% higher than in Turkey on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

South Korea sits 1% above the global median, while Turkey is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Turkey ($667–$1,752) than in South Korea ($1,043–$1,783), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 ₩10.1K

$9.07 ₺440

-17.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.70 ₩59.9K

$41.10 ₺1,996

8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₩8,926

$8.74 ₺425

-23.80%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₩5,343

$3.63 ₺176

9.64%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$1.44 ₺70.0

13.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,047

$0.50 ₺24.19

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ₩4,946

$3.82 ₺185

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₩5,962

$4.45 ₺216

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,927

$1.02 ₺49.48

113.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₩3,857

$0.99 ₺48.06

190.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,506

$2.22 ₺108

51.35%

Eggs

$3.21 ₩4,308

$2.20 ₺107

45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ₩19.6K

$9.83 ₺477

48.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₩11.9K

$4.82 ₺234

84.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 ₩33.1K

$20.63 ₺1,002

19.49%

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.1K

$1.83 ₺88.6

351.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,616

$1.97 ₺95.5

74.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 ₩8,478

$1.11 ₺54.1

469.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.34 ₺64.9

338.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₩5,264

$0.57 ₺27.79

589.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 ₩3,751

$0.43 ₺20.76

551.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,610

$0.93 ₺45.19

189.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,571

$0.64 ₺31.20

82.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₩4,384

$2.23 ₺108

46.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₩19.7K

$11.94 ₺580

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,870

$2.24 ₺109

-4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₩4,011

$2.97 ₺144

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,450

$0.80 ₺38.89

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.55 ₩61.1K

$41.38 ₺2,009

10.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ₩4,588

$1.52 ₺74.0

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$0.85 ₺41.26

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩11.7K

$7.97 ₺387

9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.33 ₺64.8

-0.75%

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

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$43.7K ₺2.1M

-31.82%

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

$30.2K ₩40.4M

$42.1K ₺2.0M

-28.41%

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

$200 ₩268.7K

$75.9 ₺3,684

164.08%

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

$39.60 ₩53.1K

$10.31 ₺500

284.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.91 ₩30.7K

$15.65 ₺760

46.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ₩75.4K

$54.3 ₺2,635

3.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$20.33 ₺987

-21.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$7.41 ₺360

49.80%

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

$912 ₩1.2M

$680 ₺33.0K

34.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩30.8M

$15.8K ₺769.5K

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₩75.8K

$52.8 ₺2,562

7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 ₩57.7K

$43.65 ₺2,119

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 ₩104.2K

$101 ₺4,885

-22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 ₩128.4K

$91.7 ₺4,453

4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩786.7K

$587 ₺28.5K

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₩544.2K

$421 ₺20.4K

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$1,012 ₺49.1K

51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 ₩1.2M

$699 ₺33.9K

28.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K ₩21.4M

$1,753 ₺85.1K

810.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,144 ₩10.9M

$1,103 ₺53.6K

638.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,365 ₩3.2M

$1,100 ₺53.4K

115.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

41.91

-89.95%

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

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Turkey: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $430 in South Korea vs $458 in Turkey. For reference, capital cities sit at $891 in Seoul and $749 in Ankara.

Average salary: $2,116 in South Korea vs $1,058 in Turkey. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 14% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 100% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 17% 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 17% 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.