Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Turkey and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Turkey vs $1,391 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,591 per month in Turkey vs $2,185 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,161 per month in Turkey vs $2,978 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Turkey is roughly 27% lower than in South Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Turkey sits 26% below the global median, while South Korea is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Turkey ($667–$1,752) than in South Korea ($1,043–$1,783), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.07 ₺440

$7.51 ₩10.1K

20.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.10 ₺1,996

$44.70 ₩59.9K

-8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 ₺425

$6.66 ₩8,926

31.23%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₺176

$3.98 ₩5,343

-8.79%

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

$1.44 ₺70.0

$1.64 ₩2,195

-12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₺24.19

$0.78 ₩1,047

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₺185

$3.69 ₩4,946

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₺216

$4.45 ₩5,962

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ₺49.48

$2.18 ₩2,927

-53.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₺48.06

$2.88 ₩3,857

-65.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₺108

$3.36 ₩4,506

-33.93%

Eggs

$2.20 ₺107

$3.21 ₩4,308

-31.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₺477

$14.62 ₩19.6K

-32.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 ₺234

$8.88 ₩11.9K

-45.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.63 ₺1,002

$24.65 ₩33.1K

-16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺88.6

$8.27 ₩11.1K

-77.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 ₺95.5

$3.44 ₩4,616

-42.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ₺54.1

$6.32 ₩8,478

-82.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ₺64.9

$5.87 ₩7,866

-77.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ₺27.79

$3.93 ₩5,264

-85.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₺20.76

$2.80 ₩3,751

-84.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ₺45.19

$2.69 ₩3,610

-65.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₺31.20

$1.17 ₩1,571

-45.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ₺108

$3.27 ₩4,384

-31.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ₺580

$14.71 ₩19.7K

-18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺109

$2.14 ₩2,870

4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₺144

$2.99 ₩4,011

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ₺38.89

$1.08 ₩1,450

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.38 ₺2,009

$45.55 ₩61.1K

-9.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ₺74.0

$3.42 ₩4,588

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺41.26

$0.65 ₩867

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 ₺387

$8.69 ₩11.7K

-8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺64.8

$1.32 ₩1,774

0.76%

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

$43.7K ₺2.1M

$29.8K ₩40.0M

46.68%

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

$42.1K ₺2.0M

$30.2K ₩40.4M

39.68%

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

$75.9 ₺3,684

$200 ₩268.7K

-62.13%

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

$10.31 ₺500

$39.60 ₩53.1K

-73.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.65 ₺760

$22.91 ₩30.7K

-31.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ₺2,635

$56.2 ₩75.4K

-3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 ₺987

$16.03 ₩21.5K

26.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 ₺360

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-33.24%

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

$680 ₺33.0K

$912 ₩1.2M

-25.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ₺769.5K

$23.0K ₩30.8M

-30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₺2,562

$56.5 ₩75.8K

-6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.65 ₺2,119

$43.05 ₩57.7K

1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₺4,885

$77.7 ₩104.2K

29.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 ₺4,453

$95.8 ₩128.4K

-4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₺28.5K

$587 ₩786.7K

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 ₺20.4K

$406 ₩544.2K

3.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 ₺49.1K

$1,536 ₩2.1M

-34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 ₺33.9K

$900 ₩1.2M

-22.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺85.1K

$16.0K ₩21.4M

-89.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 ₺53.6K

$8,144 ₩10.9M

-86.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,100 ₺53.4K

$2,365 ₩3.2M

-53.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.91

4.21

895.49%

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

Last update for Turkey: September 6, 2026

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $458 in Turkey vs $430 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $749 in Ankara and $891 in Seoul.

Average salary: $1,058 in Turkey vs $2,116 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7% higher in Turkey.

Dining out costs 14% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in Turkey.

Salaries are 100% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turkey is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 17% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Turkey, contributing to the overall 17% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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