According to the September survey by BES-AR, the monthly food expenditure required for a family of four civil servants to maintain a healthy and balanced diet reached 49 thousand 655 liras. The poverty line, which also covers basic needs such as clothing, housing, rent, bills, fuel, transportation, education and healthcare, stood at 124 thousand 339 liras. The report stated that the daily cost of healthy eating exceeded 1,655 liras. It said that the minimum wage, which was 28 thousand 75 liras in 2026, remained below the hunger threshold and that minimum wage earners were paid 76.86% less. It also noted that public employees in major cities spent approximately 75-80% of their salaries on rent and were forced to live in groups of 3 or 5 because of housing costs.
Why it matters
The data shows that inadequate income is not limited to access to food; when housing, transportation, education and healthcare expenses are considered together, there is a substantial shortfall in the basic-needs budgets of civil servant families and minimum wage earners. In major cities, most of a salary going toward rent restricts public employees’ ability to afford housing on their own, while three or five people living together illustrates the impact of this pressure on daily life. However, comparing the food costs of a family of four with the minimum wage also highlights that household size and income structure are decisive in interpreting the results. Because the report’s statement that the minimum wage was 76.86% lower does not mathematically match the amounts provided, it should not be used without verification. While the survey therefore provides an indicator of cost-of-living pressures, the figure in question leaves an unresolved methodological issue.