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 $1,023 per month in Turkey vs $1,189 in Japan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,592 per month in Turkey vs $1,873 in Japan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,161 per month in Turkey vs $2,557 in Japan, rent included.

The cost of living in Turkey is roughly 14% 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 26% lower, Japan 13% lower.

Cost ranges are similar: Turkey spans $670–$1,744, Japan $757–$1,653. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 ₺447

$6.12 ¥956

50.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.85 ₺1,978

$30.69 ¥4,794

33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 ₺430

$4.90 ¥765

81.02%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₺175

$3.20 ¥499

13.12%

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

$1.54 ₺74.8

$1.17 ¥182

31.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺28.41

$0.78 ¥122

-24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₺176

$3.11 ¥486

17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 ₺227

$3.66 ¥571

27.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 ₺50.3

$1.48 ¥231

-29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₺48.12

$1.51 ¥236

-34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺110

$4.82 ¥752

-53.11%

Eggs

$2.24 ₺109

$2.09 ¥327

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 ₺458

$11.74 ¥1,835

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 ₺228

$6.40 ¥1,000

-26.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.44 ₺990

$17.67 ¥2,761

15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₺90.7

$4.76 ¥743

-60.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 ₺97.5

$2.37 ¥371

-15.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ₺53.1

$4.28 ¥669

-74.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ₺67.0

$4.36 ¥680

-68.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ₺28.45

$2.73 ¥427

-78.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₺22.62

$2.62 ¥409

-82.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₺50.5

$1.25 ¥196

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₺31.60

$0.90 ¥140

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 ₺111

$3.96 ¥619

-41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 ₺592

$8.50 ¥1,328

43.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₺111

$1.97 ¥308

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₺140

$2.56 ¥400

12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ₺41.94

$1.40 ¥219

-37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 ₺2,029

$55.3 ¥8,643

-24.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ₺79.0

$3.54 ¥553

-53.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺41.62

$3.11 ¥486

-72.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 ₺400

$19.69 ¥3,075

-58.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₺61.5

$1.09 ¥171

16.51%

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

$43.7K ₺2.1M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

100.81%

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

$42.4K ₺2.1M

$16.2K ¥2.5M

161.74%

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

$74.8 ₺3,621

$158 ¥24.6K

-52.57%

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

$10.46 ₺506

$24.79 ¥3,873

-57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.05 ₺777

$32.46 ¥5,071

-50.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₺2,624

$52.8 ¥8,253

2.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.16 ₺976

$17.71 ¥2,767

13.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ₺355

$12.61 ¥1,970

-41.95%

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

$684 ₺33.1K

$562 ¥87.7K

21.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ₺763.4K

$11.6K ¥1.8M

36.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ₺2,716

$45.40 ¥7,092

23.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.93 ₺2,224

$28.46 ¥4,447

61.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₺5,162

$60.6 ¥9,467

75.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 ₺4,686

$77.8 ¥12.2K

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 ₺29.4K

$573 ¥89.5K

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₺20.8K

$379 ¥59.2K

13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺47.3K

$1,338 ¥209.0K

-26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₺33.4K

$752 ¥117.5K

-8.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 ₺89.5K

$5,535 ¥864.8K

-66.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₺55.4K

$2,846 ¥444.6K

-59.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,092 ₺52.9K

$2,055 ¥321.0K

-46.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.74

2.05

1936.10%

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

Last update for Turkey: August 30, 2026

Last update for Japan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $460 in Turkey vs $490 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $739 in Ankara and $1,230 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $1,063 in Turkey vs $1,876 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Japan.

Public transport is 93% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are 76% 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

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

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Japan, but in Turkey it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Japan 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.