Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $509 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 Kataragama
Learn more

Kataragama Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Kataragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $509 in Kataragama, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Kataragama $509

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $828 in Kataragama, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Kataragama $828

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,146 in Kataragama, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Kataragama $1,146

Istanbul costs about 204% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Kataragama is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.48 LKR 1,485

174.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.30 LKR 8,050

125.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.74 LKR 2,564

19.12%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.46 LKR 816

78.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.72 LKR 238

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 89.8

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.19 LKR 727

114.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.00 LKR 993

97.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.55 LKR 513

-21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.57 LKR 188

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.81 LKR 267

170.37%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.57 LKR 519

49.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.05 LKR 4,654

-25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.95 LKR 1,639

14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.47 LKR 2,473

180.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.92 LKR 2,292

-72.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.83 LKR 276

178.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.43 LKR 1,466

-71.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.22 LKR 405

47.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.99 LKR 329

-34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.75 LKR 247

-14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.92 LKR 306

35.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.47 LKR 155

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.42 LKR 3,453

-77.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.64 LKR 4,517

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.90 LKR 628

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.97 LKR 985

17.17%

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

$0.34 LKR 114

170.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.88 LKR 291

1145.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.35 LKR 447

8.89%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

36.22%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$41.1K LKR 13.6M

8.37%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$53.1 LKR 17.6K

67.03%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.29 LKR 1,420

170.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$21.04 LKR 6,970

-24.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.48 LKR 1,483

81.70%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$38.54 LKR 12.8K

2515.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,225 LKR 405.7K

1986.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$18.51 LKR 6,131

191.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.88 LKR 5,591

141.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$43.04 LKR 14.3K

124.44%

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

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 Kataragama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Kataragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Kataragama

$240 47.1% 7.6% $20

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Kataragama

$110 21.5% 50.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Kataragama

$71 13.9% 46% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Kataragama

$78 15.4% 32.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Kataragama

$9 * 1.8% 90.4% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Kataragama

$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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $24.00 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $240 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Kataragama

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

23:11 11:11 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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Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Kataragama 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 204%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $764 in Kataragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $24.00 in Kataragama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kataragama – 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 Kataragama. 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.