Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Negombo

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Negombo

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $402 in Negombo, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Negombo $402

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $649 in Negombo, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Negombo $649

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $897 in Negombo, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Negombo $897

Istanbul costs about 286% more than Negombo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Negombo is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.48 LKR 1,483

174.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$16.63 LKR 5,508

228.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.59 LKR 2,516

21.48%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$1.23 LKR 406

257.72%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.69 LKR 228

143.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.25 LKR 82.5

136.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.15 LKR 712

118.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.95 LKR 978

100.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.57 LKR 521

-22.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.53 LKR 174

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.74 LKR 245

195.95%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.64 LKR 543

43.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$14.01 LKR 4,642

-25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.12 LKR 1,366

37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$6.00 LKR 1,986

249.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$1.77 LKR 585

7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.69 LKR 229

234.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$2.23 LKR 738

-42.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.19 LKR 395

51.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.73 LKR 242

-10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.81 LKR 267

-20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.93 LKR 308

34.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.43 LKR 142

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.14 LKR 3,359

-76.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.52 LKR 4,480

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.95 LKR 646

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.01 LKR 997

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

$0.29 LKR 94.9

206.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$0.38 LKR 125

239.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.37 LKR 124

148.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.90 LKR 297

1117.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.00 LKR 332

47.00%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

36.31%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

9.01%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$25.65 LKR 8,497

245.46%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.21 LKR 1,395

175.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.85 LKR 6,908

-24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$15.27 LKR 5,059

405.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$9.07 LKR 3,004

150.72%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$2.45 LKR 813

232.24%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

2554.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$446 LKR 147.9K

5626.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$8.82 LKR 2,920

511.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.87 LKR 5,586

142.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

168.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$24.22 LKR 8,023

298.84%

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

$180 LKR 59.7K

568.71%

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 Negombo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Negombo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Negombo

$194 48.4% 25.1% $65

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Negombo

$94 23.4% 58% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Negombo

$39 9.7% 70.1% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Negombo

$51 12.6% 56.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Negombo

$20 5% 78.4% $73

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8% 95.6% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 569% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $17.00 in Negombo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $194 – making Negombo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Negombo

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

19:30 7:30 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

142,449

💱 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 Negombo 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Negombo

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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 286%, 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 $602 in Negombo. 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 $17.00 in Negombo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 Negombo, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Negombo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Negombo – 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 Negombo. 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.