Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Polonnaruwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $510 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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 Polonnaruwa
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Polonnaruwa Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Polonnaruwa

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

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Ankara vs $510 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Ankara $1,389
Polonnaruwa $510

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Ankara vs $829 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Ankara $2,087
Polonnaruwa $829

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Ankara vs $1,148 in Polonnaruwa, rent included.

Ankara $2,785
Polonnaruwa $1,148

Ankara costs about 172% more than Polonnaruwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₺507

$3.89 LKR 1,294

159.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.81 ₺2,197

$25.28 LKR 8,407

73.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 ₺490

$7.32 LKR 2,434

33.61%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₺207

$2.56 LKR 850

60.94%

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

$1.68 ₺84.3

$0.69 LKR 228

143.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₺36.05

$0.27 LKR 89.8

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 ₺252

$2.17 LKR 721

131.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 ₺331

$2.98 LKR 990

121.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺58.4

$1.58 LKR 526

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 ₺48.39

$0.54 LKR 178

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₺113

$0.81 LKR 269

177.78%

Eggs

$2.66 ₺134

$1.70 LKR 566

56.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ₺506

$15.24 LKR 5,067

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₺272

$4.93 LKR 1,638

10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.99 ₺1,003

$7.66 LKR 2,546

160.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₺95.8

$6.48 LKR 2,155

-70.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ₺109

$0.81 LKR 269

169.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺63.3

$4.25 LKR 1,414

-70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.6

$1.27 LKR 423

29.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.69

$1.04 LKR 345

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₺27.40

$0.77 LKR 255

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₺49.75

$1.26 LKR 419

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₺32.90

$0.42 LKR 139

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₺113

$10.10 LKR 3,357

-77.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 ₺620

$13.57 LKR 4,511

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺106

$1.87 LKR 622

13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₺161

$2.98 LKR 989

7.38%

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

$0.37 LKR 124

245.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₺42.02

$0.31 LKR 102

170.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 ₺412

$0.86 LKR 285

855.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₺69.5

$1.32 LKR 438

5.30%

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

$48.4K ₺2.4M

$44.4K LKR 14.8M

9.04%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$45.5K LKR 15.1M

-11.62%

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

$99.9 ₺5,011

$58.0 LKR 19.3K

72.32%

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

$11.15 ₺559

$4.27 LKR 1,418

161.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ₺900

$20.36 LKR 6,770

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 ₺390

$4.60 LKR 1,531

68.91%

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

$1,084 ₺54.3K

$40.23 LKR 13.4K

2593.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₺1.1M

$17.1K LKR 5.7M

31.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ₺2,677

$18.01 LKR 5,987

196.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 ₺2,401

$17.32 LKR 5,759

176.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,229

$78.8 LKR 26.2K

32.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 ₺4,905

$41.05 LKR 13.6K

138.25%

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 Polonnaruwa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$557 40.1%

Polonnaruwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$251 18.1%

Polonnaruwa

$242 47.5% 3.4% $8.5

Eating Out

Ankara

$208 14.9%

Polonnaruwa

$104 20.5% 49.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$136 9.8%

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.7% 48.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$129 9.3%

Polonnaruwa

$83 16.2% 36% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$88 6.3%

Polonnaruwa

$9.2 * 1.8% 89.5% $78

Getting Around

Ankara

$20 1.5%

Polonnaruwa

$1.9 * 0.4% 90.7% $19

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 Polonnaruwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $242 – making Polonnaruwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

15,000

💱 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 = 2.69 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 = 56.05 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 = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ankara Polonnaruwa 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
Polonnaruwa

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 Polonnaruwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 172% more than Polonnaruwa, 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 $765 in Polonnaruwa. 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 Polonnaruwa. 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 Polonnaruwa, where all-in costs run around $510, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Polonnaruwa 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 $510 in Polonnaruwa to $1,389 in Ankara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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