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The monthly cost of meeting basic nutritional needs for a family of four, referred to as the "hunger threshold", rose to ₺29,828 ($701.92) in November 2025 in Türkiye, according to the country’s largest labor confederation, the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is).
Food inflation was recorded at 4.98% month-on-month in November, with a 12-month increase of 45.07%, the union's survey showed.
Thus, the gap between the minimum wage of ₺22,104 ($520.16), which is estimated to be the monthly income for most workers, and the cost of basic food needs has grown to nearly ₺7,724, meaning families now need almost 35% more than their income just to meet essential nutritional requirements.
The "poverty threshold," which includes broader living expenses such as housing, transportation, education, and health care, was calculated at ₺97,159 ($2,286.36) for the same period, more than four times the net minimum wage.
Meanwhile, for single individuals, the monthly cost of living stood at ₺38,752 ($911.92), showing that not only families but also those living alone are struggling to keep up with inflation and rising prices.
In its statement, Turk-Is emphasized the growing economic strain on low-income groups, noting that the gap between the minimum wage and an individual's monthly cost of living now exceeds ₺16,648.
"Increasing wages merely in line with inflation, without eliminating this gap, means the continuation of poor living conditions and, therefore, poverty," the union said.
Turk-Is also urged policymakers to act swiftly, calling for targeted economic and social policies to protect vulnerable households. "Necessary economic and social policies must be implemented as a priority," it said. "Those with low and fixed incomes are not the cause of inflation, they are its victims."
The union's report tracks price fluctuations in essential goods and services in Ankara, the capital, but according to the Istanbul Planning Agency, the cost of living in Türkiye’s largest city reached ₺104,927 ($2,469.16) per month in October, marking a 2.82% increase from the previous month.
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