For one person, living is cheaper in Thailand: $990 a month against $1,212 in Turkey, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Thailand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Turkey versus $990 in Thailand.
Turkey $1,212
Thailand $990
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Turkey versus $1,614 in Thailand.
Turkey $1,844
Thailand $1,614
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,475 in Turkey versus $2,238 in Thailand.
Turkey $2,475
Thailand $2,238
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $608 to $2,241, compared to $656–$1,765 in Turkey. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.
🌍
Living in Turkey is roughly 22% more expensive than in Thailand on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Turkey 11% lower, Thailand 27% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.14₺456
$2.98฿101
206.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.12₺2,003
$26.37฿890
52.14%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.91₺445
$6.69฿226
33.18%
Cappuccino
$3.75₺187
$2.02฿68.0
85.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47₺73.5
$0.66฿22.18
122.73%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56₺27.71
$0.33฿11.11
69.70%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.84₺192
$2.26฿76.4
69.91%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91₺245
$3.65฿123
34.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.02₺51.2
$1.79฿60.4
-43.02%
White Bread(500g)
$1.00₺50.0
$1.34฿45.11
-25.37%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20₺110
$1.23฿41.34
78.86%
Eggs
$2.21₺111
$2.03฿68.5
8.87%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.72₺485
$16.57฿559
-41.34%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.86₺243
$2.98฿100
63.09%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.09₺1,003
$10.84฿366
85.33%
Apples(1kg)
$1.86₺92.6
$2.96฿100.0
-37.16%
Banana(1kg)
$1.98₺99.1
$1.26฿42.40
57.14%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.06₺53.2
$2.03฿68.4
-47.78%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.36₺68.0
$1.71฿57.8
-20.47%
Potato(1kg)
$0.54₺26.91
$1.47฿49.56
-63.27%
Onion(1kg)
$0.45₺22.35
$1.32฿44.38
-65.91%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.00₺49.70
$1.14฿38.44
-12.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69₺34.29
$0.48฿16.32
43.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26₺113
$4.27฿144
-47.07%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.91₺594
$16.99฿573
-29.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24₺112
$1.66฿56.1
34.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85₺142
$2.74฿92.6
4.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.76₺38.08
$0.91฿30.84
-16.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$39.49₺1,972
$34.94฿1,179
13.02%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.42₺71.1
$1.16฿39.25
22.41%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.84₺41.73
$1.16฿39.01
-27.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.98₺398
$5.77฿195
38.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.38₺69.0
$1.34฿45.28
2.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.6K₺2.1M
$30.7K฿1.0M
35.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K₺2.0M
$26.6K฿896.9K
51.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$75.0₺3,743
$81.7฿2,757
-8.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.38₺518
$12.47฿421
-16.76%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.56₺777
$18.20฿614
-14.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.2₺2,758
$50.2฿1,692
10.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.01₺1,049
$11.64฿393
80.50%
Cinema Ticket
$6.87₺343
$6.41฿216
7.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$680₺34.0K
$558฿18.8K
21.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K₺794.0K
$12.3K฿415.3K
29.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.7₺2,729
$52.3฿1,765
4.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.98₺2,146
$31.83฿1,074
35.03%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102₺5,084
$88.2฿2,977
15.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.9₺4,686
$78.5฿2,649
19.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$614₺30.7K
$495฿16.7K
24.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$441₺22.0K
$320฿10.8K
37.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,011₺50.5K
$1,355฿45.7K
-25.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$703₺35.1K
$771฿26.0K
-8.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,710₺85.4K
$3,611฿121.8K
-52.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,115₺55.7K
$2,072฿69.9K
-46.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turkey
Thailand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,061₺53.0K
$562฿19.0K
88.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
41.67
5.67
634.92%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Turkey: October 26, 2026
Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Turkey
$441 36.4%
Thailand
$320 32.3% ↓ 27.5%$121
🛒Groceries & Markets
Turkey
$239 19.8%
Thailand
$246 24.8% ↑ 2.6%$6.3
🍽Eating Out
Turkey
$182 15%
Thailand
$91 9.2% ↓ 50.2%$91
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
$132 10.9%
Thailand
$113 11.4% ↓ 14.5%$19
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
$101 8.3%
Thailand
$112 11.4% ↑ 11.4%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
$69 5.7%
Thailand
$63 6.4% ↓ 8.7%$6
🚌Getting Around
Turkey
$48 4%
Thailand
$46 4.6% ↓ 5.4%$2.6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Turkey
$703 28.4%
Thailand
$771 34.4% ↑ 9.7%$68
🛒Groceries & Markets
Turkey
$549 22.2%
Thailand
$555 24.8% ↑ 1.1%$5.9
🍽Eating Out
Turkey
$562 22.7%
Thailand
$306 13.7% ↓ 45.6%$256
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
$293 11.9%
Thailand
$251 11.2% ↓ 14.5%$42
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
$111 4.5%
Thailand
$125 5.6% ↑ 12.2%$14
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
$159 6.4%
Thailand
$138 6.2% ↓ 13.4%$21
🚌Getting Around
Turkey
$98 4%
Thailand
$93 4.2% ↓ 5%$4.9
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $446 in Turkey, $463 in Thailand. Capital cities: $765 in Ankara vs $713 in Bangkok.
💰National salary averages: $1,034 in Turkey, $612 in Thailand. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Dining out costs 26% more in Turkey.
⭐Public transport is 30% more expensive in Thailand.
⭐Salaries are 69% higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.
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 Thailand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Thailand compare to the cost in Turkey?
At $990 per month in Thailand and $1,212 in Turkey, Thailand comes out about 18% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Thailand is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Which country is better for expats: Thailand or Turkey?
It depends on what you’re after: Thailand wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.