Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $1,389 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kataragama
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Kataragama Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Kataragama

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 Kataragama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Ankara vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

Ankara $1,389
Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Ankara vs $824 in Kataragama, rent included.

Ankara $2,087
Kataragama $824

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Ankara vs $1,140 in Kataragama, rent included.

Ankara $2,785
Kataragama $1,140

Ankara costs about 173% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 3% above the global median, while Kataragama is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺507

$3.87 LKR 1,286

160.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.81 ₺2,197

$24.70 LKR 8,211

77.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 ₺490

$7.34 LKR 2,439

33.24%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₺207

$2.43 LKR 807

69.55%

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

$1.68 ₺84.3

$0.67 LKR 224

150.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺36.05

$0.27 LKR 90.8

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 ₺252

$2.23 LKR 741

125.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 ₺331

$3.08 LKR 1,025

114.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺58.4

$1.57 LKR 522

-26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₺48.39

$0.56 LKR 187

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₺113

$0.76 LKR 252

196.05%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺134

$1.63 LKR 543

63.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₺506

$15.08 LKR 5,013

-33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₺272

$4.89 LKR 1,626

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 ₺1,003

$7.66 LKR 2,546

160.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.8

$6.54 LKR 2,173

-70.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺109

$0.83 LKR 276

162.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺63.3

$4.08 LKR 1,357

-69.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.6

$1.31 LKR 437

25.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.69

$1.08 LKR 360

-39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.40

$0.83 LKR 276

-33.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₺49.75

$1.24 LKR 414

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₺32.90

$0.45 LKR 150

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₺113

$10.29 LKR 3,421

-78.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 ₺620

$13.61 LKR 4,526

-9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺106

$1.96 LKR 652

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₺161

$2.94 LKR 977

8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₺38.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$0.40 LKR 134

220.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺42.02

$0.31 LKR 103

170.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 ₺412

$0.86 LKR 285

855.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₺69.5

$1.34 LKR 445

3.73%

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

$48.4K ₺2.4M

$43.6K LKR 14.5M

11.22%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

-11.81%

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

$99.9 ₺5,011

$56.8 LKR 18.9K

75.77%

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

$11.15 ₺559

$4.15 LKR 1,380

168.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ₺900

$20.61 LKR 6,854

-12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₺390

$4.50 LKR 1,495

72.67%

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

$1,084 ₺54.3K

$39.71 LKR 13.2K

2628.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₺1.1M

$17.3K LKR 5.8M

29.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,677

$18.27 LKR 6,074

192.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 ₺2,401

$17.51 LKR 5,823

173.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,229

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

34.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 ₺4,905

$41.79 LKR 13.9K

134.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₺37.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₺27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 ₺45.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 ₺82.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₺53.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.85

12.5

250.80%

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

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$557 40.1%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$251 18.1%

Kataragama

$242 47.7% 3.4% $8.5

Eating Out

Ankara

$208 14.9%

Kataragama

$103 20.3% 50.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Kataragama

$70 13.8% 48.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$129 9.3%

Kataragama

$82 16.1% 36.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 89.7% $79

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Kataragama

$2 * 0.4% 90.5% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Ankara versus $25 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $242 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

20,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ankara Kataragama 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 173% more than Kataragama, 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 $2,083 per month in Ankara and $762 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Ankara and $25 in Kataragama. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ankara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $1,389 in Ankara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.