Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Kandy

For one person, living is cheaper in Kandy: $513 a month against $1,393 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Kandy
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Kandy Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,393

/mo nomad

Kandy

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Kandy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ankara and in Kandy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Ankara vs $513 in Kandy, rent included.

Ankara $1,393
Kandy $513

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Ankara vs $728 in Kandy, rent included.

Ankara $2,079
Kandy $728

A family of three spends $2,765 per month in Ankara vs $943 in Kandy, rent included.

Ankara $2,765
Kandy $943

Ankara costs about 171% more than Kandy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 2% above the global median, while Kandy is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₺493

$2.66 LKR 885

272.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ₺2,137

$13.01 LKR 4,324

229.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 ₺464

$6.00 LKR 1,996

55.17%

Cappuccino

$4.15 ₺207

$1.90 LKR 632

118.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₺82.6

$0.52 LKR 174

219.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.94

$0.26 LKR 87.1

192.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 ₺257

$1.86 LKR 620

176.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₺292

$2.80 LKR 931

108.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺59.9

$1.15 LKR 382

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₺49.46

$0.52 LKR 174

90.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₺107

$0.77 LKR 255

179.22%

Eggs

$2.69 ₺134

$1.71 LKR 568

57.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 ₺510

$5.14 LKR 1,708

98.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 ₺272

$4.25 LKR 1,412

28.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 ₺1,013

$6.87 LKR 2,285

195.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.0

$3.14 LKR 1,043

-39.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$0.84 LKR 280

171.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ₺63.2

$1.73 LKR 574

-26.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₺81.7

$1.29 LKR 429

27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺33.28

$1.02 LKR 339

-34.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₺28.55

$0.83 LKR 277

-31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₺51.3

$0.43 LKR 144

139.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₺31.69

$0.42 LKR 140

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₺109

$8.02 LKR 2,668

-72.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₺621

$11.28 LKR 3,751

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₺112

$1.93 LKR 643

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₺155

$2.08 LKR 691

49.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.87

$0.16 LKR 53.3

412.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 ₺591

$4.38 LKR 1,457

170.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺63.8

$0.41 LKR 136

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₺40.61

$0.35 LKR 116

131.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 ₺322

$0.47 LKR 156

1274.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₺69.7

$1.15 LKR 383

21.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$47.9K ₺2.4M

$14.0K LKR 4.6M

242.97%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.3K ₺2.0M

$36.7K LKR 12.2M

9.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.1 ₺4,639

$59.0 LKR 19.6K

57.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.72 ₺534

$3.86 LKR 1,282

177.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.87 ₺891

$12.72 LKR 4,227

40.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₺3,597

$10.85 LKR 3,606

565.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 ₺765

$6.80 LKR 2,262

125.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 ₺401

$2.74 LKR 909

193.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,032 ₺51.4K

$21.65 LKR 7,199

4664.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K ₺955.7K

$304 LKR 101.0K

6214.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,659

$18.28 LKR 6,078

191.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 ₺2,407

$10.15 LKR 3,375

375.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,196

$67.7 LKR 22.5K

54.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 ₺4,786

$26.56 LKR 8,831

261.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 ₺38.1K

$172 LKR 57.2K

345.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 ₺28.4K

$113 LKR 37.5K

404.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 ₺56.2K

$172 LKR 57.2K

554.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₺44.5K

$93.6 LKR 31.1K

853.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,678 ₺83.6K

$397 LKR 131.9K

322.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 ₺57.7K

$400 LKR 133.0K

189.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,053 ₺52.5K

$262 LKR 86.9K

302.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

263.08%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ankara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kandy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$569 40.9%

Kandy

$113 22% 80.2% $456

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$254 18.2%

Kandy

$166 32.3% 34.7% $88

Eating Out

Ankara

$204 14.7%

Kandy

$80 15.6% 60.7% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Kandy

$55 10.8% 59.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$122 8.7%

Kandy

$76 14.7% 37.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Kandy

$16 3.2% 81.5% $72

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Kandy

$7.2 1.4% 65% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Ankara versus $172 in Kandy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ankara are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Ankara versus $13 in Kandy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $166 – making Kandy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇱🇰 Kandy

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

125,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ankara Kandy 5,970 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
Kandy

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

Ankara vs Kandy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 171% more than Kandy, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Ankara and $770 in Kandy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kandy, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $172 there versus $765 in Ankara.

Kindergarten costs $1,032 per month in Ankara and $22 in Kandy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Ankara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kandy, where all-in costs run around $513, than in Ankara at $1,393. In Kandy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kandy costs $513 versus $1,393 in Ankara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kandy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.