For one person, living is cheaper in Turkey: $1,212 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Turkey
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Turkey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,212 in Turkey, rent included.
United Kingdom $2,462
Turkey $1,212
A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,844 in Turkey, rent included.
United Kingdom $3,600
Turkey $1,844
A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,475 in Turkey, rent included.
United Kingdom $4,738
Turkey $2,475
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Turkey ($656–$1,765), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 103% higher than in Turkey on average.
📊
The United Kingdom sits 81% above the global median, while Turkey is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48£16.17
$9.14₺455
135.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7£64.5
$40.12₺1,999
113.71%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.61£7.99
$8.91₺444
19.08%
Cappuccino
$4.91£3.70
$3.75₺187
30.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66£2.00
$1.47₺73.3
80.95%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87£1.41
$0.56₺27.66
233.93%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.63£4.99
$3.84₺192
72.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84£5.15
$4.91₺245
39.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.68£1.26
$1.02₺51.1
64.71%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72£1.29
$1.00₺49.93
72.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17£1.63
$2.20₺110
-1.36%
Eggs
$4.00£3.01
$2.21₺110
81.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.42£7.09
$9.72₺484
-3.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.19£6.91
$4.86₺242
89.09%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.77£11.11
$20.09₺1,001
-26.48%
Apples(1kg)
$2.97£2.23
$1.86₺92.5
59.68%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62£1.22
$1.98₺98.9
-18.18%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.85£2.15
$1.06₺53.1
168.87%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.52£2.65
$1.36₺67.9
158.82%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83£1.38
$0.54₺26.86
238.89%
Onion(1kg)
$1.61£1.21
$0.45₺22.31
257.78%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.25£0.94
$1.00₺49.61
25.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66£1.25
$0.69₺34.23
140.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65£17.80
$2.26₺113
946.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.50£7.90
$11.91₺593
-11.84%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98£2.25
$2.24₺112
33.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51£2.64
$2.85₺142
23.16%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.98£2.99
$0.76₺38.01
423.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107£80.9
$39.49₺1,968
172.02%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.18£3.90
$1.42₺70.9
264.79%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.35£1.77
$0.84₺41.65
179.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.84£20.20
$7.98₺398
236.34%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.99£1.50
$1.38₺68.8
44.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K£29.7K
$41.6K₺2.1M
-5.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K£30.5K
$40.3K₺2.0M
0.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$327£246
$75.0₺3,736
336.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21£13.71
$10.38₺517
75.43%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60£32.81
$15.56₺775
180.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.36£31.88
$55.2₺2,752
-23.30%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22£13.71
$21.01₺1,047
-13.28%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85£10.42
$6.87₺342
101.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,868£1,406
$680₺33.9K
174.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$22.6K£17.0K
$15.9K₺792.4K
42.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9£69.9
$54.7₺2,724
70.01%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92£34.56
$42.98₺2,142
6.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102£76.5
$102₺5,074
-0.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102£77.0
$93.9₺4,677
8.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,342£1,010
$614₺30.6K
118.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,073£808
$441₺22.0K
143.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,231£1,679
$1,011₺50.4K
120.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,742£1,311
$703₺35.0K
147.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,601£4,216
$1,710₺85.2K
227.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,265£3,210
$1,115₺55.6K
282.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Turkey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,349£2,521
$1,061₺52.9K
215.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.32
41.67
-87.23%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026
Last update for Turkey: October 26, 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
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6%
Turkey
$441 36.4% ↓ 58.9%$633
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389 15.8%
Turkey
$101 8.3% ↓ 74.1%$288
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328 13.3%
Turkey
$182 15% ↓ 44.4%$146
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307 12.5%
Turkey
$239 19.8% ↓ 22.1%$68
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154 6.3%
Turkey
$132 10.9% ↓ 14.4%$22
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140 5.7%
Turkey
$48 4% ↓ 65.7%$92
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70 2.9%
Turkey
$69 5.7% ↓ 1.5%$1.1
🏠Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8%
Turkey
$703 28.4% ↓ 59.7%$1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$407 8.6%
Turkey
$111 4.5% ↓ 72.7%$296
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1%
Turkey
$562 22.7% ↓ 48.6%$532
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$705 14.9%
Turkey
$549 22.2% ↓ 22.2%$156
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$343 7.2%
Turkey
$293 11.9% ↓ 14.4%$49
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$288 6.1%
Turkey
$98 4% ↓ 66.1%$191
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$158 3.3%
Turkey
$159 6.4% ↑ 0.4%$0.6
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $446 in Turkey. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $765 in Ankara.
💰Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $1,034 in Turkey. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 189% higher in the United Kingdom.
⭐Dining out costs 144% more in the United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 206% more expensive in the United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are about 3.1 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.
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
United Kingdom vs Turkey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Turkey or the United Kingdom?
Turkey is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 51% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Turkey or in the United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $446 in Turkey.
How do daily expenses compare in Turkey vs the United Kingdom?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Turkey – part of why living there is about 51% cheaper overall.
Can you live in both Turkey and the United Kingdom on $2,000 per month?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Turkey, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Turkey or the United Kingdom?
Turkey is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared