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 $1,675 per month in Turkey vs $1,941 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,268 per month in Turkey vs $2,639 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Turkey is roughly 13% lower than in 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.

Cost ranges are similar: Turkey spans $879–$1,733, Japan $1,022–$1,701. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.90 ₺420

$6.86 ¥1,114

29.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.67 ₺1,777

$34.82 ¥5,657

8.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 ₺364

$5.57 ¥906

38.60%

Cappuccino

$3.33 ₺157

$3.25 ¥528

2.46%

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

$1.34 ₺63.2

$1.09 ¥177

22.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₺22.74

$0.83 ¥135

-42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₺169

$3.38 ¥549

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₺210

$4.24 ¥689

4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺46.51

$1.52 ¥247

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₺38.30

$1.61 ¥261

-49.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ₺103

$4.60 ¥748

-52.61%

Eggs

$2.31 ₺109

$2.21 ¥359

4.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₺465

$12.07 ¥1,961

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 ₺269

$6.73 ¥1,094

-15.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 ₺923

$19.13 ¥3,107

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 ₺63.2

$5.35 ¥870

-74.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ₺107

$2.59 ¥421

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ₺58.0

$4.64 ¥754

-73.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₺72.2

$5.00 ¥813

-69.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₺34.01

$2.93 ¥476

-75.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₺28.95

$2.59 ¥421

-76.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₺49.25

$1.37 ¥222

-24.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₺22.33

$0.95 ¥154

-50.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 ₺101

$4.09 ¥664

-47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₺529

$8.80 ¥1,430

27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₺100

$2.11 ¥343

0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₺140

$2.83 ¥459

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ₺33.84

$1.50 ¥243

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.57 ₺2,197

$59.3 ¥9,636

-21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₺51.5

$4.28 ¥695

-74.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₺31.08

$2.96 ¥482

-77.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 ₺367

$23.97 ¥3,895

-67.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺55.3

$1.18 ¥192

-0.85%

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

$42.5K ₺2.0M

$23.2K ¥3.8M

82.90%

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

$43.2K ₺2.0M

$17.5K ¥2.8M

147.10%

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

$69.0 ₺3,257

$175 ¥28.5K

-60.61%

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

$10.86 ₺513

$26.45 ¥4,298

-58.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.06 ₺664

$34.77 ¥5,650

-59.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.31 ₺2,327

$58.7 ¥9,540

-16.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 ₺856

$15.73 ¥2,555

15.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₺305

$13.02 ¥2,116

-50.31%

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

$637 ₺30.1K

$347 ¥56.4K

83.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₺608.0K

$13.5K ¥2.2M

-4.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 ₺2,570

$49.15 ¥7,986

10.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 ₺2,090

$32.83 ¥5,335

34.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ₺5,073

$62.7 ¥10.2K

71.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 ₺4,470

$87.0 ¥14.1K

8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 ₺30.5K

$607 ¥98.7K

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ₺21.0K

$418 ¥68.0K

6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 ₺55.3K

$1,361 ¥221.1K

-13.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 ₺34.0K

$829 ¥134.8K

-13.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,740 ₺82.1K

$5,522 ¥897.3K

-68.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,058 ₺49.9K

$3,030 ¥492.4K

-65.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,087 ₺51.3K

$1,807 ¥293.6K

-39.86%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Japan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $527 in Turkey vs $485 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $726 in Ankara and $1,120 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $1,041 in Turkey vs $1,839 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 77% higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

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.