Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $543 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
Learn more

Badulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Badulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $543 in Badulla.

Istanbul $1,550
Badulla $543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $877 in Badulla.

Istanbul $2,415
Badulla $877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,211 in Badulla.

Istanbul $3,281
Badulla $1,211

Living in Istanbul is roughly 185% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Badulla is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.88 LKR 1,287

217.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$25.05 LKR 8,298

118.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.37 LKR 2,442

25.10%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.55 LKR 844

72.55%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.71 LKR 236

136.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 89.5

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.22 LKR 735

111.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.07 LKR 1,015

92.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.55 LKR 514

-21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.53 LKR 174

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.60 LKR 199

265.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.66 LKR 551

41.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.56 LKR 1,178

58.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.62 LKR 2,522

174.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.65 LKR 2,202

-71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.87 LKR 288

165.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.35 LKR 1,440

-70.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.33 LKR 439

35.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.99 LKR 329

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.77 LKR 255

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.87 LKR 287

43.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.45 LKR 151

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.13 LKR 3,354

-76.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$12.74 LKR 4,221

5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.90 LKR 628

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.93 LKR 971

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

$0.38 LKR 125

239.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.37 LKR 123

148.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.88 LKR 293

1145.45%

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

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

39.08%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

9.36%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

53.17%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.31 LKR 1,429

168.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.13 LKR 6,998

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.49 LKR 1,488

81.29%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

2529.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,205 LKR 399.2K

2020.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$18.44 LKR 6,108

192.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.32 LKR 5,405

150.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$80.2 LKR 26.6K

23.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$41.30 LKR 13.7K

133.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$76.1 LKR 25.2K

1194.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$44.45 LKR 14.7K

1361.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$89.9 LKR 29.8K

1213.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$4,542 LKR 1.5M

-30.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$742 LKR 245.8K

139.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$224 LKR 74.3K

437.10%

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 Badulla: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Badulla

$44 8.2% 93.2% $605

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Badulla

$229 42.2% 11.7% $31

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Badulla

$105 19.3% 53% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Badulla

$70 12.9% 46.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Badulla

$83 15.3% 28.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Badulla

$9 * 1.7% 90.4% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 97.1% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Istanbul and $76.1 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 437% 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 Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $229 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

16:56 4:56 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 Badulla 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Badulla

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 437% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $76.1 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $38.34 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – 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 $543 in Badulla versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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 Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.