Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Bentota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
Learn more

Bentota Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Bentota

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $774 in Bentota.

Istanbul $1,550
Bentota $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $896 in Bentota.

Istanbul $2,415
Bentota $896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,018 in Bentota.

Istanbul $3,281
Bentota $1,018

Living in Istanbul is roughly 100% more expensive than in Bentota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Bentota is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.29 LKR 1,421

186.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$11.97 LKR 3,965

356.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.73 LKR 2,560

19.28%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.46 LKR 815

78.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.68 LKR 225

147.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.25 LKR 82.2

136.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.24 LKR 742

109.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.07 LKR 1,016

92.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.62 LKR 535

-25.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.53 LKR 176

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.74 LKR 244

195.95%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.56 LKR 518

50.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.03 LKR 4,648

-25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.32 LKR 1,099

70.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$4.62 LKR 1,529

353.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.81 LKR 2,257

-72.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.73 LKR 241

216.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.59 LKR 1,519

-72.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$0.90 LKR 297

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.00 LKR 331

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.79 LKR 263

-18.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.94 LKR 312

32.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.43 LKR 143

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.13 LKR 3,356

-76.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.36 LKR 4,424

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.95 LKR 645

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.91 LKR 963

19.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.18 LKR 61.0

394.44%

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

$0.31 LKR 103

196.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.87 LKR 289

1159.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.39 LKR 461

5.76%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

36.66%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

10.98%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

63.97%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.23 LKR 739

419.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$9.03 LKR 2,990

75.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.28 LKR 1,417

90.19%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

2547.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

1978.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.80 LKR 5,897

203.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.82 LKR 5,573

142.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

129.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$541 LKR 179.2K

81.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$298 LKR 98.7K

118.04%

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

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 Bentota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Bentota

$298 38.5% 54.1% $352

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Bentota

$220 28.5% 15.2% $39

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Bentota

$108 14% 51.6% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Bentota

$71 9.1% 45.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Bentota

$65 8.4% 43.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1% 90.8% $85

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4% 96.5% $74

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 $541 in Bentota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $12.00 in Bentota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $220 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Bentota

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

37,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Bentota 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Bentota

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 Bentota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,325 in Istanbul and $1,160 in Bentota to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Istanbul versus $541 in Bentota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,550 per month in Istanbul versus $774 in Bentota – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bentota versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota 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 Bentota 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 Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.