Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $581 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Matara

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

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Ankara vs $581 in Matara, rent included.

Ankara $1,389
Matara $581

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Ankara vs $850 in Matara, rent included.

Ankara $2,087
Matara $850

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Ankara vs $1,118 in Matara, rent included.

Ankara $2,785
Matara $1,118

Ankara costs about 139% more than Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 3% above the global median, while Matara is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺507

$3.86 LKR 1,283

161.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.81 ₺2,197

$24.60 LKR 8,179

78.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 ₺490

$7.57 LKR 2,517

29.19%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₺207

$2.44 LKR 813

68.85%

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

$1.68 ₺84.3

$0.68 LKR 225

147.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺36.05

$0.25 LKR 83.0

188.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 ₺252

$2.26 LKR 751

122.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 ₺331

$2.98 LKR 991

121.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺58.4

$1.58 LKR 526

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₺48.39

$0.57 LKR 190

68.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₺113

$0.78 LKR 260

188.46%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺134

$1.45 LKR 484

83.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₺506

$15.08 LKR 5,013

-33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₺272

$5.02 LKR 1,668

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 ₺1,003

$7.69 LKR 2,558

159.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.8

$6.67 LKR 2,218

-71.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺109

$0.46 LKR 153

373.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺63.3

$4.17 LKR 1,385

-69.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.6

$0.84 LKR 279

96.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.69

$0.97 LKR 322

-32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.40

$0.62 LKR 208

-11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₺49.75

$1.26 LKR 419

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₺32.90

$0.46 LKR 153

43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₺113

$10.27 LKR 3,415

-78.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 ₺620

$13.79 LKR 4,585

-10.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺106

$1.77 LKR 589

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₺161

$2.84 LKR 943

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₺38.86

$0.29 LKR 95.2

165.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₺64.3

$0.41 LKR 135

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺42.02

$0.31 LKR 102

170.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 ₺412

$0.93 LKR 310

783.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₺69.5

$1.38 LKR 458

0.72%

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

$48.4K ₺2.4M

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

11.63%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$45.7K LKR 15.2M

-12.02%

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

$99.9 ₺5,011

$44.63 LKR 14.8K

123.86%

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

$11.15 ₺559

$4.15 LKR 1,381

168.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ₺900

$20.43 LKR 6,794

-12.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₺390

$4.46 LKR 1,482

74.22%

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

$1,084 ₺54.3K

$40.78 LKR 13.6K

2557.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₺1.1M

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,677

$17.76 LKR 5,907

200.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 ₺2,401

$17.33 LKR 5,764

176.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,229

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 ₺4,905

$41.81 LKR 13.9K

133.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₺37.5K

$182 LKR 60.5K

311.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₺27.9K

$88.6 LKR 29.4K

528.56%

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

$105 LKR 35.0K

904.15%

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 Matara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$557 40.1%

Matara

$89 15.3% 84.1% $468

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$251 18.1%

Matara

$238 40.9% 5.3% $13

Eating Out

Ankara

$208 14.9%

Matara

$104 17.9% 49.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Matara

$69 12% 49.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$129 9.3%

Matara

$69 11.9% 46.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Matara

$8.9 * 1.5% 89.8% $79

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Matara

$3.1 * 0.5% 84.9% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Ankara versus $182 in Matara. 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 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Ankara versus $25 in Matara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $238 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

100,000

💱 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 = 56.3 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ankara Matara 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
Matara

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 139% more than Matara, 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 $871 in Matara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $748 in Ankara.

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

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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