Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺586

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,717

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺451

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

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

$1.75 ₺86.1

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺295

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.2

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺521

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,046

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.2

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.2

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.9

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.91

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.5

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺665

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,277

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺536

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.4

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

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

$89.2 ₺4,400

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

$11.60 ₺572

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺794

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,810

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,117

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

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

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,600

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,932

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,090

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,765

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺57.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

13:20 1:20 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

5,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 49.32 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.28 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

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Between locations

Istanbul Arugam Bay 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Istanbul
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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