Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Amparai

For one person, living is cheaper in Amparai: $501 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Amparai
Learn more

Amparai Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Amparai

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Amparai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $501 in Amparai.

Istanbul $1,550
Amparai $501

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $815 in Amparai.

Istanbul $2,415
Amparai $815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,128 in Amparai.

Istanbul $3,281
Amparai $1,128

Living in Istanbul is roughly 210% more expensive than in Amparai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Amparai is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.34 LKR 1,437

183.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.60 LKR 8,148

122.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.64 LKR 2,532

20.68%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.50 LKR 829

76.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.73 LKR 242

130.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 89.6

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.23 LKR 737

110.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.12 LKR 1,033

89.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.64 LKR 542

-26.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.54 LKR 178

64.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.74 LKR 245

195.95%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.57 LKR 521

49.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.64 LKR 4,517

-23.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.78 LKR 1,582

18.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.58 LKR 2,512

176.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.65 LKR 2,201

-71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.79 LKR 262

192.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.61 LKR 1,527

-72.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.22 LKR 405

47.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.02 LKR 339

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.80 LKR 265

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.93 LKR 308

34.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.46 LKR 153

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.32 LKR 3,420

-77.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.38 LKR 4,433

0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.90 LKR 630

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.93 LKR 972

18.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.40 LKR 133

222.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.35 LKR 115

162.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.94 LKR 311

1065.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.38 LKR 456

6.52%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.3K LKR 12.4M

36.10%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

10.46%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$54.2 LKR 18.0K

63.43%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.14 LKR 1,372

179.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.40 LKR 6,756

-22.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$1.81 LKR 598

349.72%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$37.41 LKR 12.4K

2594.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,223 LKR 404.9K

1990.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.96 LKR 5,948

200.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.50 LKR 5,464

147.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$78.4 LKR 26.0K

26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$42.66 LKR 14.1K

126.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1233.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

12.69

222.46%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amparai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Amparai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Amparai

$237 47.4% 8.7% $23

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Amparai

$109 21.8% 51.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Amparai

$70 14% 46.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Amparai

$79 15.7% 32.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Amparai

$3.6 * 0.7% 96.1% $90

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Amparai

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.2% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

Istanbul pays 1233% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $25.00 in Amparai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $237 per month, with Amparai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Amparai

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

110,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Amparai 6,400 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Amparai

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

Istanbul vs Amparai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amparai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 210% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1233% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $37.41 in Amparai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Amparai – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $501 in Amparai versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Amparai but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Amparai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Amparai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Amparai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Amparai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.