Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Beruwala: $507 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Beruwala
Learn more

Beruwala Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Beruwala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $507 in Beruwala.

Istanbul $1,550
Beruwala $507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $824 in Beruwala.

Istanbul $2,415
Beruwala $824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,140 in Beruwala.

Istanbul $3,281
Beruwala $1,140

Living in Istanbul is roughly 205% more expensive than in Beruwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Beruwala is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.30 LKR 1,424

186.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.33 LKR 8,058

124.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.45 LKR 2,467

23.76%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.48 LKR 823

77.42%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.68 LKR 224

147.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 90.2

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.18 LKR 723

115.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.05 LKR 1,009

93.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.62 LKR 538

-25.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.57 LKR 188

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.78 LKR 259

180.77%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.59 LKR 526

47.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.81 LKR 4,575

-24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.75 LKR 1,574

18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.50 LKR 2,483

179.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.95 LKR 2,301

-72.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.83 LKR 276

178.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.49 LKR 1,489

-71.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.26 LKR 418

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.04 LKR 344

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.76 LKR 251

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.93 LKR 310

34.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.44 LKR 145

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.34 LKR 3,424

-77.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.77 LKR 4,562

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.91 LKR 631

25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.92 LKR 967

19.18%

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 114

162.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.95 LKR 315

1053.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.40 LKR 464

5.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

39.65%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

11.18%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$54.9 LKR 18.2K

61.43%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.34 LKR 1,437

167.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.59 LKR 6,819

-23.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.34 LKR 1,437

87.56%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

2578.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,213 LKR 401.8K

2006.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$18.51 LKR 6,132

191.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.53 LKR 5,474

147.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$41.74 LKR 13.8K

131.43%

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

$149 LKR 49.3K

709.60%

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 Beruwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Beruwala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Beruwala

$240 47.2% 7.7% $20

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Beruwala

$107 21.2% 51.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Beruwala

$70 13.8% 46.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Beruwala

$80 15.7% 31.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Beruwala

$8.7 * 1.7% 90.7% $85

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Beruwala

$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 710% 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 $24.00 in Beruwala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $240 per month, with Beruwala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

35,300

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Beruwala 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Beruwala

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 Beruwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beruwala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 205% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 710% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $507 in Beruwala – a 205% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $507 in Beruwala versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Beruwala but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Beruwala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Beruwala 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 Beruwala 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 Beruwala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.