Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $713 a month against $1,550 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Learn more

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $713 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $713

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $1,101 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,101

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,490 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,490

Istanbul costs about 117% more than Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$4.32 LKR 1,430

184.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.52 LKR 8,122

123.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.48 LKR 2,478

23.26%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.46 LKR 815

78.86%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.68 LKR 225

147.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.27 LKR 90.2

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.17 LKR 719

116.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$2.95 LKR 976

100.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.33 LKR 440

-9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.53 LKR 175

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.73 LKR 243

200.00%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.63 LKR 541

44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.88 LKR 4,599

-24.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$4.47 LKR 1,480

26.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$5.32 LKR 1,762

293.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.20 LKR 2,054

-69.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.80 LKR 266

188.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.42 LKR 1,465

-71.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.25 LKR 413

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$0.94 LKR 312

-30.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.80 LKR 265

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.88 LKR 291

42.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.47 LKR 155

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$8.81 LKR 2,919

-73.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$12.64 LKR 4,185

6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.90 LKR 628

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.04 LKR 1,006

14.47%

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

$0.31 LKR 103

316.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.34 LKR 114

170.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.93 LKR 307

1078.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.10 LKR 364

33.64%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

37.87%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.6K LKR 13.5M

9.61%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$44.92 LKR 14.9K

97.26%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.15 LKR 1,373

179.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$12.29 LKR 4,069

28.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$15.01 LKR 4,972

414.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$3.01 LKR 998

170.43%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$37.46 LKR 12.4K

2590.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$909 LKR 301.0K

2712.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$18.47 LKR 6,118

192.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.90 LKR 5,597

141.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

130.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$307 LKR 101.7K

220.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$228 LKR 75.6K

184.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$449 LKR 148.6K

342.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$383 LKR 126.8K

208.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

$675 LKR 223.5K

365.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

$538 LKR 178.2K

230.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$307 LKR 101.8K

292.17%

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$228 32% 64.9% $421

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.2% 14.5% $38

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$107 15% 52% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$71 10% 45.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$61 8.6% 47.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3% 77.5% $72

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2 * 0.3% 97.4% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 292% 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 $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $222 – making Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

115,826 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Istanbul Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 117%, 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 $1,069 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. 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.