Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Turkey versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,676 in Turkey versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Turkey versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Turkey is roughly 52% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 19% lower, China 47% lower.

Turkey ($866–$1,732) and China ($520–$1,209) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 ₺410

$2.81 ¥18.98

217.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.84 ₺1,784

$23.30 ¥158

66.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 ₺358

$5.01 ¥33.87

55.69%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ₺146

$3.01 ¥20.38

5.65%

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

$1.26 ₺58.1

$0.45 ¥3.03

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₺22.59

$0.29 ¥1.97

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₺167

$0.95 ¥6.41

282.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 ₺214

$2.05 ¥13.87

126.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺45.66

$1.76 ¥11.87

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₺36.44

$1.62 ¥10.98

-51.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₺97.7

$0.95 ¥6.45

124.21%

Eggs

$2.32 ₺107

$1.56 ¥10.55

48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 ₺449

$13.06 ¥88.3

-25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 ₺262

$3.28 ¥22.17

73.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 ₺909

$10.65 ¥72.0

85.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 ₺61.6

$1.78 ¥12.03

-24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ₺101

$1.24 ¥8.42

76.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ₺54.3

$1.50 ¥10.12

-21.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₺67.1

$1.15 ¥7.79

26.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺34.86

$0.75 ¥5.07

1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₺28.15

$0.86 ¥5.81

-29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₺45.86

$0.62 ¥4.17

61.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₺23.31

$0.56 ¥3.81

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 ₺101

$3.51 ¥23.76

-37.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ₺499

$11.66 ¥78.9

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₺98.6

$0.80 ¥5.40

168.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₺130

$1.66 ¥11.25

69.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺32.26

$0.43 ¥2.93

62.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.97 ₺2,066

$20.86 ¥141

115.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₺48.55

$1.37 ¥9.26

-22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₺30.23

$0.35 ¥2.38

88.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₺349

$6.63 ¥44.82

14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₺54.5

$1.14 ¥7.69

4.39%

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

$43.2K ₺2.0M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

125.12%

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

$43.4K ₺2.0M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

158.95%

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

$69.3 ₺3,185

$51.2 ¥346

35.49%

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

$10.88 ₺500

$10.16 ¥68.7

7.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.03 ₺645

$11.51 ¥77.9

21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.89 ₺2,292

$40.53 ¥274

23.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 ₺828

$15.05 ¥102

19.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 ₺300

$6.10 ¥41.26

7.05%

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

$626 ₺28.7K

$402 ¥2,719

55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ₺596.0K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-26.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,448

$45.57 ¥308

16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 ₺1,982

$33.26 ¥225

29.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₺4,946

$72.6 ¥491

48.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ₺4,399

$74.5 ¥503

28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺28.8K

$429 ¥2,903

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₺20.9K

$257 ¥1,739

76.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 ₺54.0K

$895 ¥6,055

31.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 ₺33.3K

$541 ¥3,660

34.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,741 ₺80.0K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-65.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 ₺49.5K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-56.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,056 ₺48.5K

$1,055 ¥7,132

0.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.38

4.06

943.84%

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

Last update for Turkey: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $528 in Turkey, $286 in China. Capital cities: $741 in Ankara vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,056 in Turkey, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 43% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 72% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 23% higher in Turkey, giving China 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

Turkey vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $1,299 in Turkey, there's a 50% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China 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 Turkey beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Turkey, 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. China wins on affordability; Turkey may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.