Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Japan Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,081 per month in Turkey vs $1,243 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,676 per month in Turkey vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,271 per month in Turkey vs $2,638 in Japan, rent included.

Turkey is roughly 13% cheaper than Japan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Turkey and Japan are more affordable than the global median – Turkey 19% lower, Japan 7% lower.

Turkey has a wider regional cost range ($866–$1,732) than Japan ($1,019–$1,684), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Turkey.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 ₺411

$6.75 ¥1,082

32.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.84 ₺1,788

$34.81 ¥5,580

11.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 ₺359

$5.62 ¥901

38.79%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ₺146

$3.41 ¥547

-6.74%

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

$1.26 ₺58.2

$1.09 ¥175

15.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₺22.64

$0.84 ¥134

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₺167

$3.43 ¥550

5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 ₺214

$4.14 ¥663

12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺45.76

$1.55 ¥249

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₺36.51

$1.53 ¥245

-48.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₺97.9

$4.53 ¥726

-52.98%

Eggs

$2.32 ₺107

$2.27 ¥363

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 ₺450

$12.11 ¥1,942

-19.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 ₺262

$7.00 ¥1,122

-18.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 ₺911

$19.78 ¥3,170

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 ₺61.7

$5.35 ¥858

-74.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ₺101

$2.62 ¥420

-16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ₺54.4

$4.67 ¥749

-74.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₺67.3

$4.74 ¥760

-69.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₺34.93

$2.85 ¥457

-73.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₺28.21

$2.68 ¥430

-77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₺45.95

$1.34 ¥215

-25.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₺23.36

$0.95 ¥152

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 ₺102

$4.13 ¥662

-46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ₺500

$8.28 ¥1,328

31.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₺98.8

$2.17 ¥348

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₺130

$2.94 ¥472

-4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 ₺32.33

$1.56 ¥250

-55.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.97 ₺2,071

$58.7 ¥9,412

-23.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₺48.65

$4.25 ¥682

-75.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₺30.29

$2.89 ¥463

-77.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₺350

$23.36 ¥3,745

-67.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₺54.7

$1.17 ¥188

1.71%

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

$43.2K ₺2.0M

$23.5K ¥3.8M

84.00%

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

$43.4K ₺2.0M

$17.5K ¥2.8M

147.60%

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

$69.3 ₺3,192

$175 ¥28.0K

-60.28%

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

$10.88 ₺501

$27.13 ¥4,349

-59.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.03 ₺646

$34.95 ¥5,603

-59.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.89 ₺2,297

$59.0 ¥9,452

-15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 ₺830

$15.90 ¥2,548

13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 ₺301

$12.97 ¥2,079

-49.65%

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

$626 ₺28.8K

$341 ¥54.6K

83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ₺597.3K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-4.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,453

$48.49 ¥7,773

9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 ₺1,986

$32.95 ¥5,281

30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₺4,957

$63.1 ¥10.1K

70.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ₺4,408

$86.9 ¥13.9K

10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺28.9K

$605 ¥96.9K

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₺20.9K

$418 ¥67.0K

8.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 ₺54.1K

$1,362 ¥218.4K

-13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 ₺33.4K

$844 ¥135.2K

-13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,741 ₺80.2K

$5,620 ¥900.9K

-69.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 ₺49.6K

$3,060 ¥490.4K

-64.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,056 ₺48.6K

$1,859 ¥298.0K

-43.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.38

1.82

2228.57%

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

Last update for Turkey: May 31, 2026

Last update for Japan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $528 in Turkey vs $484 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $741 in Ankara and $1,094 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $1,056 in Turkey vs $1,862 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 17% more in Japan.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 76% higher in Japan, giving Japan 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 Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turkey is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 4% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turkey, contributing to the overall 4% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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