Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gampaha

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
Learn more

Gampaha Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gampaha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Istanbul versus $450 in Gampaha.

Istanbul $1,550
Gampaha $450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,415 in Istanbul versus $765 in Gampaha.

Istanbul $2,415
Gampaha $765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,281 in Istanbul versus $1,079 in Gampaha.

Istanbul $3,281
Gampaha $1,079

Living in Istanbul is roughly 245% more expensive than in Gampaha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 15% above, Gampaha is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$1.81 LKR 600

579.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$18.00 LKR 5,961

203.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$5.20 LKR 1,723

77.31%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.25 LKR 414

252.00%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.54 LKR 178

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 89.7

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.13 LKR 705

120.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.04 LKR 1,007

94.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.62 LKR 538

-25.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.43 LKR 144

106.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.73 LKR 241

200.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.72 LKR 569

36.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.52 LKR 4,480

-22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$3.96 LKR 1,312

42.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.23 LKR 2,394

189.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$5.92 LKR 1,961

-67.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.81 LKR 269

185.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.41 LKR 1,461

-70.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.27 LKR 420

41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.96 LKR 318

-32.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.78 LKR 257

-17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.29 LKR 95.7

331.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.32 LKR 104

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$9.94 LKR 3,294

-76.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$12.77 LKR 4,231

5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.38 LKR 457

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.37 LKR 784

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.31 LKR 103

187.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.29 LKR 95.8

344.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.36 LKR 120

155.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.90 LKR 297

1117.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.18 LKR 390

24.58%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

69.96%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

10.80%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$27.63 LKR 9,153

220.70%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$2.98 LKR 985

288.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$10.84 LKR 3,591

45.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$7.56 LKR 2,504

920.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.44 LKR 1,472

83.33%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$15.07 LKR 4,991

6588.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$122 LKR 40.4K

20880.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.88 LKR 5,924

201.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$8.90 LKR 2,948

358.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

61.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$24.29 LKR 8,044

297.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

1000.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

1071.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$301 LKR 99.8K

558.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$167 LKR 55.4K

605.95%

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

$225 LKR 74.4K

436.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

309.20%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Gampaha

$55 12.3% 91.5% $594

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Gampaha

$217 48.4% 16.3% $42

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Gampaha

$65 14.5% 70.9% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Gampaha

$51 11.3% 61.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Gampaha

$41 9.2% 64.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Gampaha

$16 3.7% 82.4% $77

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7% 95.7% $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 $89.4 in Gampaha. 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 $18.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $217 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

20,000

💱 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 Gampaha 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gampaha

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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Istanbul and Gampaha differ by about 245% in total monthly costs ($1,550 vs $450 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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 $89.4 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,008 in Istanbul versus $15.07 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $450 in Gampaha versus $1,550 in Istanbul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 245% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.