Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Katunayaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Katunayaka: $506 a month against $1,516 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Katunayaka
Learn more

Katunayaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,516

/mo nomad

Katunayaka

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Katunayaka

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Istanbul vs $506 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Istanbul $1,516
Katunayaka $506

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Istanbul vs $822 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Istanbul $2,356
Katunayaka $822

A family of three spends $3,197 per month in Istanbul vs $1,138 in Katunayaka, rent included.

Istanbul $3,197
Katunayaka $1,138

Istanbul costs about 200% more than Katunayaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 11% above the global median, while Katunayaka is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 ₺577

$3.84 LKR 1,278

201.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,723

$25.36 LKR 8,429

115.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 ₺468

$7.49 LKR 2,491

25.37%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₺211

$2.55 LKR 848

65.88%

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

$1.72 ₺85.6

$0.71 LKR 236

142.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₺28.24

$0.27 LKR 89.9

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 ₺232

$2.19 LKR 727

112.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 ₺341

$3.08 LKR 1,023

122.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₺59.9

$1.64 LKR 544

-26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₺46.94

$0.57 LKR 190

64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ₺112

$0.76 LKR 254

194.74%

Eggs

$2.42 ₺120

$1.72 LKR 573

40.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 ₺510

$13.55 LKR 4,503

-24.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₺268

$4.89 LKR 1,627

10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 ₺1,055

$7.46 LKR 2,481

184.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₺94.2

$6.50 LKR 2,162

-70.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 ₺111

$0.84 LKR 281

164.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₺62.7

$4.40 LKR 1,464

-71.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₺89.9

$1.29 LKR 428

40.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ₺34.82

$0.99 LKR 329

-29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺32.11

$0.76 LKR 253

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ₺60.8

$0.95 LKR 316

28.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₺27.34

$0.45 LKR 151

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₺116

$10.25 LKR 3,409

-77.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 ₺663

$12.79 LKR 4,251

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₺116

$1.91 LKR 636

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₺172

$2.95 LKR 979

17.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ₺45.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 ₺3,304

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.41 LKR 135

214.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₺42.63

$0.37 LKR 123

132.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.09 ₺552

$0.93 LKR 310

1092.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₺70.7

$1.40 LKR 464

1.43%

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

$49.2K ₺2.4M

$44.7K LKR 14.8M

10.12%

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

$42.8K ₺2.1M

$40.9K LKR 13.6M

4.61%

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

$87.7 ₺4,370

$58.3 LKR 19.4K

50.45%

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

$11.28 ₺562

$4.33 LKR 1,441

160.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 ₺791

$21.11 LKR 7,019

-24.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 ₺3,780

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 ₺1,147

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 ₺408

$4.40 LKR 1,462

86.36%

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

$1,028 ₺51.2K

$38.35 LKR 12.8K

2580.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K ₺1.3M

$1,203 LKR 399.9K

2058.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,656

$18.46 LKR 6,138

188.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 ₺1,977

$16.89 LKR 5,616

134.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 ₺4,969

$79.4 LKR 26.4K

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,658

$41.36 LKR 13.7K

126.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 ₺50.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₺31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 ₺97.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₺55.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 ₺153.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 ₺87.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 ₺58.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

12.69

220.65%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 27, 2026

Last update for Katunayaka: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$628 41.5%

Katunayaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$258 17%

Katunayaka

$236 46.6% 8.6% $22

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.4%

Katunayaka

$105 20.7% 51.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Katunayaka

$70 13.9% 45.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$115 7.6%

Katunayaka

$84 16.6% 27.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$92 6.1%

Katunayaka

$8.8 * 1.7% 90.5% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$76 5%

Katunayaka

$2.3 * 0.5% 97% $73

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 in Istanbul versus $25 in Katunayaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $236 – making Katunayaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Katunayaka

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

84,643

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 49.8 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.44 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Katunayaka 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Katunayaka

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 Katunayaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,274 per month in Istanbul and $759 in Katunayaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $25 in Katunayaka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Katunayaka, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Istanbul at $1,516. In Katunayaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Katunayaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Katunayaka to $1,516 in Istanbul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.