Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $581 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index

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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$581

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matara and in Ankara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Matara and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $581 per month in Matara vs $1,389 in Ankara, rent included.

Matara $581
Ankara $1,389

A couple spends around $850 per month in Matara vs $2,087 in Ankara, rent included.

Matara $850
Ankara $2,087

A family of three spends $1,118 per month in Matara vs $2,785 in Ankara, rent included.

Matara $1,118
Ankara $2,785

Matara is about 58% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Matara sits 57% below the global median, while Ankara is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 LKR 1,283

$10.10 ₺507

-61.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.60 LKR 8,179

$43.81 ₺2,197

-43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,517

$9.78 ₺490

-22.60%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$4.12 ₺207

-40.78%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$1.68 ₺84.3

-59.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$0.72 ₺36.05

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 751

$5.02 ₺252

-54.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 991

$6.60 ₺331

-54.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.16 ₺58.4

36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$0.96 ₺48.39

-40.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 260

$2.25 ₺113

-65.33%

Eggs

$1.45 LKR 484

$2.66 ₺134

-45.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 LKR 5,013

$10.09 ₺506

49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 LKR 1,668

$5.43 ₺272

-7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 LKR 2,558

$19.99 ₺1,003

-61.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,218

$1.91 ₺95.8

249.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 LKR 153

$2.18 ₺109

-78.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,385

$1.26 ₺63.3

230.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.65 ₺82.6

-49.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 322

$0.65 ₺32.69

49.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 208

$0.55 ₺27.40

12.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LKR 419

$0.99 ₺49.75

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.66 ₺32.90

-30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 LKR 3,415

$2.25 ₺113

356.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 LKR 4,585

$12.37 ₺620

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 589

$2.12 ₺106

-16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 LKR 943

$3.20 ₺161

-11.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$0.77 ₺38.86

-62.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$1.28 ₺64.3

-67.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

$0.84 ₺42.02

-63.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$8.22 ₺412

-88.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$1.39 ₺69.5

-0.72%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$48.4K ₺2.4M

-10.42%

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

$45.7K LKR 15.2M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

13.66%

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

$44.63 LKR 14.8K

$99.9 ₺5,011

-55.33%

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

$4.15 LKR 1,381

$11.15 ₺559

-62.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 LKR 6,794

$17.94 ₺900

13.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,482

$7.77 ₺390

-42.60%

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

$40.78 LKR 13.6K

$1,084 ₺54.3K

-96.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

$22.5K ₺1.1M

-22.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.76 LKR 5,907

$53.4 ₺2,677

-66.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,764

$47.87 ₺2,401

-63.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

$104 ₺5,229

-25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.81 LKR 13.9K

$97.8 ₺4,905

-57.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 LKR 60.5K

$748 ₺37.5K

-75.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.6 LKR 29.4K

$557 ₺27.9K

-84.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 ₺45.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 ₺82.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ₺57.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$105 LKR 35.0K

$1,058 ₺53.1K

-90.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

43.85

-71.49%

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

Last update for Matara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ankara: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$238 40.9%

Ankara

$251 18.1% 5.6% $13

Eating Out

Matara

$104 17.9%

Ankara

$208 14.9% 99.8% $104

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$89 15.3%

Ankara

$557 40.1% 529% $468

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$69 12%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 96.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$69 11.9%

Ankara

$129 9.3% 86.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$8.9 * 1.5%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 883% $79

Getting Around

Matara

$3.1 * 0.5%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 561% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $182 in Matara versus $748 in Ankara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ankara are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara versus $44 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $251 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

2 h 30 min behind Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.3 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matara Ankara 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Matara
Ankara

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

Matara vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 139% more than Matara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Matara and $2,083 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $748 in Ankara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara and $44 in Ankara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Ankara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Matara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ankara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.