MigrantoCost of living in Turkey
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
TRY 28,500
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
TRY 11,000richest 20%
TRY 99,000
Turkey runs on a split: a weak currency makes local services and labor feel genuinely affordable, while anything tied to the wider world can swing and sting. For much of daily life, your money stretches here. The hard part is how far apart people live — the gap between a comfortable life and a struggling one is about as stark as you'll find.
Where people spend money in Turkey
In Turkey the weekly food shop is what leads the budget — groceries take the top spot, and prices there can move quickly. Getting around comes next, while rent stays light, which is the upside locals lean on: a place to live doesn't dominate the month, so what you spend bends more around food and the everyday than around the roof above you.
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What it costs to live in Turkey
Tell us what you earn and spend today — we'll estimate what the same lifestyle would cost in Turkey and how much you could have left each month
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Cost of living in Turkey
TRY 11,000/mo
vs TRY 37,000 in your country
Take-home
TRY 21,300
vs TRY 55,500 in your country
Potential savings
TRY 10,400
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in Turkey compare
Place Turkey against the world and it lands above the middle — though that's a moving target, because a sliding currency keeps shifting what things really cost. Within its region it sits mid-table rather than high, and the reason is that same currency: cheap in local terms, less so the moment a price is set abroad.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2023 (Eurostat), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Turkey?
A typical person in Turkey spends about TRY 28,500 a month — around TRY 342,000 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Turkey in US dollars?
The cost of living in Turkey is about $615 a month, or roughly $7,380 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Turkey?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about TRY 11,000 a month per person, a typical one around TRY 28,500, and a comfortable life around TRY 41,600. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Turkey?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about TRY 6,480 a month (23% of spending). Then come transport (TRY 5,600, 20%) and housing (TRY 3,150, 11%).
Is the average salary in Turkey enough to live on?
In most cases yes, but without much of a cushion. Average spending is about TRY 28,500 a month, while the average take-home pay in Turkey is about TRY 34,500. For more on incomes, see salaries in Turkey.
Is Turkey an expensive country to live in?
Somewhat. Turkey is more expensive than 63% of countries worldwide and ranks 8th of 17 in the Middle East by cost of living.
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Living in Turkey
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