Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Afghanistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Afghanistan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Turkey vs $209 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,591 per month in Turkey vs $294 in Afghanistan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,161 per month in Turkey vs $379 in Afghanistan, rent included.

The cost of living in Turkey is about 388% higher than in Afghanistan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Turkey and Afghanistan are more affordable than the global median – Turkey 26% lower, Afghanistan 85% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.07 ₺440
$2.36 ؋152
284.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.10 ₺1,996
$10.83 ؋696
279.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.74 ₺425
$3.77 ؋242
131.83%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.10 ؋135
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.42 ؋477
-
Cappuccino
$3.63 ₺176
$1.01 ؋65.2
259.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 ₺70.0
$0.44 ؋28.27
227.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₺24.19
$0.19 ؋12.16
163.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.82 ₺185
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 ₺216
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 ₺49.48
$0.81 ؋51.9
25.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 ₺48.06
$0.28 ؋18.20
253.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 ₺108
$1.83 ؋118
21.31%
Eggs
$2.20 ₺107
$1.60 ؋103
37.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.83 ₺477
$4.61 ؋296
113.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.82 ₺234
$3.75 ؋241
28.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.63 ₺1,002
$6.54 ؋421
215.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 ₺88.6
$0.69 ؋44.51
165.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 ₺95.5
$0.99 ؋64.0
98.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 ₺54.1
$1.01 ؋65.2
9.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 ₺64.9
$0.52 ؋33.63
157.69%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 ₺27.79
$0.55 ؋35.14
3.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.43 ₺20.76
$0.41 ؋26.25
4.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 ₺45.19
$0.39 ؋24.76
138.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₺31.20
$0.34 ؋21.56
88.24%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.78 ؋114
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.68 ؋43.78
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.06 ؋68.1
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.23 ₺108
$2.36 ؋151
-5.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.94 ₺580
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 ₺109
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 ₺144
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 ₺38.89
$0.30 ؋19.01
166.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.38 ₺2,009
$14.68 ؋944
181.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 ₺74.0
$1.41 ؋90.9
7.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺41.26
$0.44 ؋28.38
93.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.97 ₺387
$1.65 ؋106
383.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₺64.8
$1.02 ؋65.5
30.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.7K ₺2.1M
$8,438 ؋542.6K
418.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.1K ₺2.0M
$33.4K ؋2.1M
26.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.9 ₺3,684
$56.9 ؋3,660
33.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.31 ₺500
$13.81 ؋888
-25.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.65 ₺760
$165 ؋10.6K
-90.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.3 ₺2,635
$10.61 ؋682
411.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.33 ₺987
$4.02 ؋258
405.72%
Cinema Ticket
$7.41 ₺360
$2.62 ؋168
182.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$680 ₺33.0K
$20.34 ؋1,308
3244.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K ₺769.5K
$1,316 ؋84.6K
1104.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 ₺2,562
$12.99 ؋835
306.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.65 ₺2,119
$17.54 ؋1,128
148.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺4,885
$43.06 ؋2,769
133.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.7 ₺4,453
$31.95 ؋2,055
187.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$587 ₺28.5K
$117 ؋7,531
401.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$421 ₺20.4K
$90.3 ؋5,807
365.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 ₺49.1K
$200 ؋12.9K
406.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$699 ₺33.9K
$112 ؋7,229
521.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,753 ₺85.1K
$654 ؋42.1K
168.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,103 ₺53.6K
$354 ؋22.8K
211.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turkey
Afghanistan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,100 ₺53.4K
$255 ؋16.4K
331.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
41.91
18.22
130.02%

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

Last update for Turkey: September 6, 2026

Last update for Afghanistan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $458 in Turkey vs $27.00 in Afghanistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $749 in Ankara and $124 in Kabul.

Average salary: $1,058 in Turkey vs $226 in Afghanistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1596% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 500% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 440% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 368% higher in Turkey.

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
Turkey vs Afghanistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Afghanistan or Turkey?
Afghanistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 387% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Afghanistan or in Turkey?
Housing costs more in Turkey, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Turkey consistently has higher rents.
How do daily expenses compare in Afghanistan vs Turkey?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Afghanistan, contributing to the overall 387% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Afghanistan and Turkey on $800 per month?
$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Afghanistan, but in Turkey it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Afghanistan or Turkey?
Afghanistan 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.

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