The monthly food bill of a family of four in Ankara rose to 38,024 lira in October, while the total amount such a family needs to cover all basic expenses reached 123,856 lira, according to the latest hunger and poverty line survey by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ), Sözcü, Cumhuriyet and ANKA news agency reported on Friday.
TÜRK-İŞ calculates two thresholds each month from prices in Ankara. The "hunger line" is the minimum a four-person household must spend on a healthy, balanced diet. The "poverty line" adds clothing, housing, transport, education, health and other essential costs on top of food. The confederation put the monthly living cost of a single worker at 49,124 lira.
Food prices up 0.59% in a month
The cost of the family’s food basket rose 0.59% from September, the survey showed. Over the past 12 months, food spending increased by 33.83%, and the annual average increase, which smooths out monthly swings, stood at 39.26%, according to Sözcü, Cumhuriyet and ANKA. Since the start of the year the rise was 26.14%, Cumhuriyet and ANKA reported.
Which prices moved
According to Sözcü and Cumhuriyet, lamb, chicken, red lentils, semolina and butter rose in price during the month, and eggs rose in part, while minced and diced veal became slightly cheaper. Prices of milk, cheese, yoghurt, bread, rice, flour, pasta, bulgur, dry beans, chickpeas, sunflower oil and olive oil were broadly unchanged.
Average fruit and vegetable prices stayed close to September levels as the season shifted from autumn to winter produce, both newspapers said.
Separate from official inflation data
The TÜRK-İŞ thresholds are a trade union calculation based on Ankara prices and are separate from the official inflation data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). For a broader picture of household budgets, see our cost of living in Turkey 2026 guide; market economists’ latest expectations for inflation are in our report on the central bank’s October survey.
Sources
- Ekim ayında açlık sınırı 38 bin lirayı aştı (Sözcü)
- TÜRK-İŞ’in ekim verileri açıklandı: Açlık sınırı 38 bin TL’yi, yoksulluk sınırı 123 bin TL’yi aştı (Cumhuriyet)
- TÜRK-İŞ araştırmasına göre Ankara’da yoksulluk sınırı 123 bin 856 liraya yükseldi (ANKA via Son Dakika)
Photo: Jwslubbock / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
