Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Weligama

For one person, living is cheaper in Weligama: $505 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 Weligama
Learn more

Weligama Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Weligama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Weligama

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

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $505 in Weligama, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Weligama $505

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $819 in Weligama, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Weligama $819

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $1,132 in Weligama, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Weligama $1,132

Istanbul costs about 207% more than Weligama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Istanbul sits 15% above the global median, while Weligama is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$3.86 LKR 1,280

218.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$24.42 LKR 8,089

124.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$7.42 LKR 2,457

24.26%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.44 LKR 807

80.33%

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

$1.68 ₺83.1

$0.67 LKR 220

150.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$0.25 LKR 82.4

136.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$2.24 LKR 741

109.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$3.04 LKR 1,008

94.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.57 LKR 519

-22.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$0.58 LKR 191

53.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$0.76 LKR 251

188.16%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$1.65 LKR 547

42.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.70 LKR 4,537

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$5.00 LKR 1,657

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$7.40 LKR 2,450

182.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$6.75 LKR 2,235

-71.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$0.87 LKR 288

165.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$4.36 LKR 1,444

-70.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$1.31 LKR 435

37.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.00 LKR 330

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$0.83 LKR 273

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$0.87 LKR 288

43.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$0.43 LKR 141

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$10.25 LKR 3,394

-76.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$13.09 LKR 4,334

2.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.98 LKR 657

21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$3.01 LKR 996

15.61%

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

$0.37 LKR 124

248.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$0.35 LKR 115

162.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$0.94 LKR 311

1065.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.38 LKR 456

6.52%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$36.3K LKR 12.0M

39.94%

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

10.82%

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

53.17%

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

$11.59 ₺574

$4.32 LKR 1,432

168.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$20.48 LKR 6,783

-22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$4.56 LKR 1,511

78.51%

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

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$37.79 LKR 12.5K

2567.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

$1,230 LKR 407.4K

1978.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$17.77 LKR 5,885

203.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$16.70 LKR 5,532

144.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$79.3 LKR 26.3K

24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$41.75 LKR 13.8K

131.38%

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 Weligama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Weligama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Weligama

$238 47.1% 8.5% $22

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Weligama

$103 20.5% 53.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Weligama

$70 13.9% 46.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Weligama

$83 16.4% 28.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Weligama

$9.1 * 1.8% 90.2% $84

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Weligama

$2.1 * 0.4% 97.3% $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 Weligama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $238 – making Weligama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇱🇰 Weligama

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

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 Weligama 6,400 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Weligama

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 Weligama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 207%, 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 $757 in Weligama. 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 Weligama. 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 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 Weligama, where all-in costs run around $505, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Weligama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Weligama – 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 Weligama. 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.