Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $1,212 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Turkey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Turkey
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Turkey Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index

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🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,212

/mo nomad

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Turkey and in North Korea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Turkey and in North Korea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,212 per month in Turkey vs $838 in North Korea, rent included.

Turkey $1,212
North Korea $838

A couple spends around $1,844 per month in Turkey vs $1,313 in North Korea, rent included.

Turkey $1,844
North Korea $1,313

A family of three spends $2,475 per month in Turkey vs $1,788 in North Korea, rent included.

Turkey $2,475
North Korea $1,788

The regional cost range is wider in Turkey ($656–$1,765) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Turkey is about 45% higher than in North Korea on average.

Both Turkey and North Korea are more affordable than the global median – Turkey 11% lower, North Korea 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 ₺457

$2.86 $2.86

219.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.12 ₺2,005

$22.87 $22.87

75.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 ₺445

$19.38 $19.38

-54.02%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₺187

$1.09 $1.09

244.04%

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

$1.47 ₺73.5

$2.21 $2.21

-33.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.74

$1.21 $1.21

-53.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₺192

$13.17 $13.17

-70.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 ₺246

$3.42 $3.42

43.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₺51.2

$0.88 $0.88

15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₺50.1

$2.47 $2.47

-59.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₺110

$1.56 $1.56

41.03%

Eggs

$2.21 ₺111

$2.99 $2.99

-26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ₺486

$5.04 $5.04

92.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₺243

$3.89 $3.89

24.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 ₺1,004

$5.68 $5.68

253.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₺92.7

$6.07 $6.07

-69.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ₺99.2

$4.95 $4.95

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₺53.2

$2.20 $2.20

-51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ₺68.1

$2.26 $2.26

-39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.94

$4.45 $4.45

-87.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₺22.37

$4.49 $4.49

-89.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₺49.76

$2.22 $2.22

-54.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₺34.33

$0.46 $0.46

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 ₺113

$4.54 $4.54

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 ₺595

$7.76 $7.76

53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.13 $1.13

98.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₺142

$2.18 $2.18

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₺38.12

$1.00 $1.00

-24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 ₺1,974

$38.76 $38.76

1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ₺71.1

$1.47 $1.47

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺41.78

$2.19 $2.19

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 ₺399

$40.90 $40.90

-80.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₺69.0

$0.70 $0.70

97.14%

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

$41.6K ₺2.1M

$22.2K $22.2K

87.53%

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

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$27.9K $27.9K

44.39%

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

$75.0 ₺3,747

$34.10 $34.10

119.82%

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

$10.38 ₺519

$10.98 $10.98

-5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.56 ₺778

$44.81 $44.81

-65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 ₺2,761

$58.2 $58.2

-5.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 ₺1,050

$14.76 $14.76

42.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ₺343

$7.90 $7.90

-13.04%

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

$680 ₺34.0K

$105 $105

549.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ₺794.8K

$2,086 $2,086

662.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ₺2,732

$21.90 $21.90

149.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 ₺2,148

$28.28 $28.28

51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₺5,089

$60.7 $60.7

67.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ₺4,691

$83.1 $83.1

12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₺30.7K

$93.9 $93.9

554.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₺22.0K

$106 $106

317.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 ₺50.5K

$1,404 $1,404

-28.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₺35.1K

$205 $205

243.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,710 ₺85.5K

$1,698 $1,698

0.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ₺55.7K

$1,380 $1,380

-19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,061 ₺53.0K

$230 $230

361.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.67

7.11

486.08%

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

Last update for Turkey: October 26, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Turkey

$441 36.4%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 76.1% $335

Groceries & Markets

Turkey

$239 19.8%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 2.7% $6.4

Eating Out

Turkey

$182 15%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 0.8% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Turkey

$132 10.9%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 33.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turkey

$101 8.3%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Turkey

$69 5.7%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 7.3% $5

Getting Around

Turkey

$48 4%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 14.5% $7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $446 in Turkey vs $89 in North Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Ankara and $88 in Pyongyang.

Average salary: $1,034 in Turkey vs $228 in North Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 401% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 17% more in Turkey.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in North Korea.

Salaries are about 4.5 times higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Turkey

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

11:49 11:49 AM

6 h ahead of Turkey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,372,377

26,418,204

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 49.98 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.02 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Turkey North Korea 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Turkey
North Korea

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 North Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 31% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Turkey: a central one-bedroom averages $446 versus $89 in North Korea.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in North Korea, but in Turkey it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

North Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.