Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Wattala

For one person, living is cheaper in Wattala: $574 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ankara, Turkey
Wattala, Sri Lanka
Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,389
/mo nomad
Wattala
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara and in Wattala

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

A single person spends $1,389 per month in Ankara vs $574 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Ankara $1,389
  • Wattala $574

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Ankara vs $951 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,087
  • Wattala $951

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Ankara vs $1,328 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Ankara $2,785
  • Wattala $1,328

Ankara costs about 142% more than Wattala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ankara sits 3% above the global median, while Wattala is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.10 ₺507
$3.83 LKR 1,274
163.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.81 ₺2,197
$24.35 LKR 8,096
79.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.78 ₺490
$7.64 LKR 2,539
28.01%
Cappuccino
$4.12 ₺207
$2.48 LKR 824
66.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₺84.3
$0.68 LKR 227
147.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₺36.05
$0.27 LKR 89.9
166.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 ₺252
$2.14 LKR 711
134.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.60 ₺331
$3.04 LKR 1,011
117.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 ₺58.4
$1.59 LKR 528
-27.04%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 ₺48.39
$0.54 LKR 178
77.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 ₺113
$0.77 LKR 256
192.21%
Eggs
$2.66 ₺134
$1.64 LKR 545
62.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.09 ₺506
$14.00 LKR 4,654
-27.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.43 ₺272
$4.75 LKR 1,581
14.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.99 ₺1,003
$7.34 LKR 2,440
172.34%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 ₺95.8
$6.41 LKR 2,132
-70.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 ₺109
$0.80 LKR 265
172.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 ₺63.3
$4.37 LKR 1,452
-71.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.65 ₺82.6
$1.27 LKR 422
29.92%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₺32.69
$1.05 LKR 348
-38.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.55 ₺27.40
$0.77 LKR 256
-28.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 ₺49.75
$0.95 LKR 315
4.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ₺32.90
$0.43 LKR 143
53.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.25 ₺113
$10.26 LKR 3,410
-78.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.37 ₺620
$12.73 LKR 4,235
-2.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 ₺106
$1.89 LKR 630
12.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 ₺161
$2.90 LKR 965
10.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 ₺38.86
$0.20 LKR 66.4
285.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.85 ₺595
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.3
$0.41 LKR 136
212.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 ₺42.02
$0.34 LKR 113
147.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.22 ₺412
$0.89 LKR 295
823.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 ₺69.5
$1.13 LKR 376
23.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.4K ₺2.4M
$43.2K LKR 14.4M
12.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K ₺2.0M
$40.4K LKR 13.4M
-0.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.9 ₺5,011
$58.9 LKR 19.6K
69.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.15 ₺559
$4.18 LKR 1,391
166.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.94 ₺900
$20.89 LKR 6,947
-14.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.0 ₺3,611
$13.62 LKR 4,528
428.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.80 ₺742
$4.57 LKR 1,519
223.85%
Cinema Ticket
$7.77 ₺390
$2.93 LKR 974
165.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,084 ₺54.3K
$37.76 LKR 12.6K
2769.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.5K ₺1.1M
$1,202 LKR 399.6K
1771.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ₺2,677
$18.04 LKR 5,998
195.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.87 ₺2,401
$16.50 LKR 5,488
190.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 ₺5,229
$77.3 LKR 25.7K
34.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.8 ₺4,905
$42.08 LKR 14.0K
132.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$748 ₺37.5K
$104 LKR 34.6K
618.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$557 ₺27.9K
$61.1 LKR 20.3K
811.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 ₺57.3K
$241 LKR 80.2K
373.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$902 ₺45.2K
$178 LKR 59.1K
407.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,644 ₺82.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,142 ₺57.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ankara
Wattala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,058 ₺53.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
43.85
12.69
245.55%

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

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wattala: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ankara
$557
Wattala
$61 89% $496
Groceries & Markets
Ankara
$251
Wattala
$234 6.9% $17
Eating Out
Ankara
$208
Wattala
$104 49.9% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Ankara
$136
Wattala
$69 49.2% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ankara
$129
Wattala
$84 34.9% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Ankara
$88
Wattala
$19 77.7% $68
Getting Around
Ankara
$20
Wattala
$2.9 * 85.7% $18

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 $104 in Wattala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Ankara versus $24 in Wattala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $234 – making Wattala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Ankara
🇱🇰 Wattala
🕒 Local time
23:41 11:41 PM
02:11 2:11 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Ankara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,864,049 Capital
30,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ankara Wattala 5,930 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ankara
  • Wattala

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 Wattala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ankara or Wattala?
Ankara costs about 142% more than Wattala, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ankara and in Wattala?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,083 per month in Ankara and $861 in Wattala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ankara or Wattala?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wattala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $104 there versus $748 in Ankara.
How do dining costs compare in Ankara and in Wattala?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Ankara and $24 in Wattala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ankara or in Wattala?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Ankara or in Wattala?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Wattala, where all-in costs run around $574, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Wattala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Wattala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Ankara compared to Wattala?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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