Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragama: $503 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ragama

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $503 in Ragama, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Ragama $503

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $814 in Ragama, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Ragama $814

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,125 in Ragama, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Ragama $1,125

Istanbul costs about 203% more than Ragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Ragama is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$3.73 LKR 1,237

220.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$24.62 LKR 8,154

132.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$7.63 LKR 2,528

24.64%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.50 LKR 828

76.00%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.72 LKR 239

143.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.25 LKR 82.7

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

$2.15 LKR 711

119.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

$2.99 LKR 990

105.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$1.42 LKR 470

-12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.47 LKR 155

102.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$0.68 LKR 226

235.29%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$1.73 LKR 573

41.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$13.87 LKR 4,593

-23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$4.74 LKR 1,571

16.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$7.33 LKR 2,428

195.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$6.69 LKR 2,217

-72.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.81 LKR 268

182.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$4.27 LKR 1,414

-70.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$1.28 LKR 423

42.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$1.03 LKR 341

-35.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.77 LKR 254

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$0.89 LKR 296

42.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.45 LKR 149

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$10.11 LKR 3,350

-76.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

$13.09 LKR 4,336

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

$1.97 LKR 653

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

$2.94 LKR 974

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$0.37 LKR 123

259.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.35 LKR 115

157.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$0.93 LKR 308

1073.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.38 LKR 459

3.62%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$44.6K LKR 14.8M

11.22%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

7.81%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

49.14%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$4.28 LKR 1,416

173.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$21.08 LKR 6,982

-23.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$4.45 LKR 1,474

85.62%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$37.59 LKR 12.5K

2599.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,188 LKR 393.5K

2074.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$18.21 LKR 6,030

192.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$16.89 LKR 5,595

140.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$41.92 LKR 13.9K

123.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ragama: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Ragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Ragama

$233 46.4% 11.2% $29

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Ragama

$103 20.6% 53.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Ragama

$71 14% 45.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Ragama

$85 16.9% 27.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8% 90.4% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.2% $72

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 $57.0 in Istanbul versus $25.00 in Ragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $233 – making Ragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

03:28 3:28 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

15,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Ragama 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 203%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $754 in Ragama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul and $25.00 in Ragama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ragama, where all-in costs run around $503, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Ragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ragama – 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 Ragama. 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.