Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and Turkey

Name: Turkey
Address: TR

For one person, living is cheaper in Thailand: $990 a month against $1,212 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Thailand
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Thailand Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Turkey
Learn more

Turkey Living Index

Jump to prices

🇹🇭 Thailand

$990

/mo nomad

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thailand and in Turkey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thailand and in Turkey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Thailand versus $1,212 in Turkey.

Thailand $990
Turkey $1,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Thailand versus $1,844 in Turkey.

Thailand $1,614
Turkey $1,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Thailand versus $2,475 in Turkey.

Thailand $2,238
Turkey $2,475

Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $608 to $2,241, compared to $656–$1,765 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.

Living in Thailand costs about 18% less than in Turkey on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Thailand 27% lower, Turkey 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ฿101

$9.14 ₺456

-67.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ฿890

$40.12 ₺2,003

-34.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ฿226

$8.91 ₺445

-24.92%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿68.0

$3.75 ₺187

-46.13%

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

$0.66 ฿22.18

$1.47 ₺73.5

-55.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.11

$0.56 ₺27.71

-41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 ฿76.4

$3.84 ₺192

-41.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.91 ₺245

-25.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$1.02 ₺51.2

75.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ฿45.11

$1.00 ₺50.0

34.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.34

$2.20 ₺110

-44.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ฿68.5

$2.21 ₺111

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 ฿559

$9.72 ₺485

70.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 ฿100

$4.86 ₺243

-38.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿366

$20.09 ₺1,003

-46.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ฿100.0

$1.86 ₺92.6

59.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.40

$1.98 ₺99.1

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$1.06 ₺53.2

91.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.8

$1.36 ₺68.0

25.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.56

$0.54 ₺26.91

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.38

$0.45 ₺22.35

193.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ฿38.44

$1.00 ₺49.70

14.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.32

$0.69 ₺34.29

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿144

$2.26 ₺113

88.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿573

$11.91 ₺594

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.24 ₺112

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿92.6

$2.85 ₺142

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.84

$0.76 ₺38.08

19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.94 ฿1,179

$39.49 ₺1,972

-11.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.25

$1.42 ₺71.1

-18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿39.01

$0.84 ₺41.73

38.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 ฿195

$7.98 ₺398

-27.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.28

$1.38 ₺69.0

-2.90%

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

$30.7K ฿1.0M

$41.6K ₺2.1M

-26.37%

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

$26.6K ฿896.9K

$40.3K ₺2.0M

-34.11%

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

$81.7 ฿2,757

$75.0 ₺3,743

9.03%

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

$12.47 ฿421

$10.38 ₺518

20.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.20 ฿614

$15.56 ₺777

16.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 ฿1,692

$55.2 ₺2,758

-9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.64 ฿393

$21.01 ₺1,049

-44.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ฿216

$6.87 ₺343

-6.70%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$680 ₺34.0K

-17.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ฿415.3K

$15.9K ₺794.0K

-22.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ฿1,765

$54.7 ₺2,729

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.83 ฿1,074

$42.98 ₺2,146

-25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ฿2,977

$102 ₺5,084

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 ฿2,649

$93.9 ₺4,686

-16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ฿16.7K

$614 ₺30.7K

-19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.8K

$441 ₺22.0K

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ฿45.7K

$1,011 ₺50.5K

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 ฿26.0K

$703 ₺35.1K

9.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 ฿121.8K

$1,710 ₺85.4K

111.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 ฿69.9K

$1,115 ₺55.7K

85.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 ฿19.0K

$1,061 ₺53.0K

-47.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

41.67

-86.39%

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

Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026

Last update for Turkey: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Thailand

$320 32.3%

Turkey

$441 36.4% 37.9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Thailand

$246 24.8%

Turkey

$239 19.8% 2.5% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Thailand

$113 11.4%

Turkey

$132 10.9% 16.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thailand

$112 11.4%

Turkey

$101 8.3% 10.2% $12

Eating Out

Thailand

$91 9.2%

Turkey

$182 15% 101% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Thailand

$63 6.4%

Turkey

$69 5.7% 9.5% $6

Getting Around

Thailand

$46 4.6%

Turkey

$48 4% 5.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $463 in Thailand, $446 in Turkey. Capital cities: $713 in Bangkok vs $765 in Ankara.

National salary averages: $612 in Thailand, $1,034 in Turkey. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 26% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Thailand.

Salaries are 69% higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Thailand

🇹🇷 Turkey

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

4 h behind Thailand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,188,503

85,372,377

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thailand Turkey 7,130 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Thailand
Turkey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Thailand vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $990 per month in Thailand and $1,212 in Turkey, Thailand comes out about 18% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Thailand is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: Thailand wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.