Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuwara Eliya and Ankara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $510 a month against $1,389 in Ankara, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
Learn more

Ankara Living Index

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Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya and in Ankara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $510 per month in Nuwara Eliya vs $1,389 in Ankara, rent included.

Nuwara Eliya $510
Ankara $1,389

A couple spends around $827 per month in Nuwara Eliya vs $2,087 in Ankara, rent included.

Nuwara Eliya $827
Ankara $2,087

A family of three spends $1,145 per month in Nuwara Eliya vs $2,785 in Ankara, rent included.

Nuwara Eliya $1,145
Ankara $2,785

Nuwara Eliya is about 63% cheaper than Ankara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nuwara Eliya sits 62% below the global median, while Ankara is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 LKR 1,281

$10.10 ₺507

-61.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.56 LKR 8,166

$43.81 ₺2,197

-43.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,544

$9.78 ₺490

-21.78%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 808

$4.12 ₺207

-41.02%

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

$0.37 LKR 122

$1.68 ₺84.3

-77.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.72 ₺36.05

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 728

$5.02 ₺252

-56.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,008

$6.60 ₺331

-54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.16 ₺58.4

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$0.96 ₺48.39

-44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 247

$2.25 ₺113

-67.11%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 564

$2.66 ₺134

-36.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.44 LKR 5,134

$10.09 ₺506

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 LKR 1,695

$5.43 ₺272

-6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 LKR 2,466

$19.99 ₺1,003

-62.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 LKR 2,242

$1.91 ₺95.8

252.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$2.18 ₺109

-61.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,388

$1.26 ₺63.3

230.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 422

$1.65 ₺82.6

-23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 360

$0.65 ₺32.69

66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$0.55 ₺27.40

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 403

$0.99 ₺49.75

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.66 ₺32.90

-31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.43 LKR 3,470

$2.25 ₺113

363.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 LKR 4,581

$12.37 ₺620

11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.12 ₺106

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 989

$3.20 ₺161

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₺38.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 ₺595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$1.28 ₺64.3

-71.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.84 ₺42.02

-63.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 286

$8.22 ₺412

-89.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$1.39 ₺69.5

-4.32%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$48.4K ₺2.4M

-9.77%

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

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

$40.2K ₺2.0M

13.39%

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

$56.4 LKR 18.8K

$99.9 ₺5,011

-43.55%

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

$4.13 LKR 1,375

$11.15 ₺559

-62.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,852

$17.94 ₺900

14.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₺3,611

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ₺742

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 LKR 1,496

$7.77 ₺390

-42.08%

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

$39.94 LKR 13.3K

$1,084 ₺54.3K

-96.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

$22.5K ₺1.1M

-22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.00 LKR 5,986

$53.4 ₺2,677

-66.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.55 LKR 5,837

$47.87 ₺2,401

-63.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

$104 ₺5,229

-23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.09 LKR 13.7K

$97.8 ₺4,905

-57.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₺37.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ₺27.9K

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)

$1,058 ₺53.1K

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 Nuwara Eliya: 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

Nuwara Eliya

$245 48.1%

Ankara

$251 18.1% 2.5% $6

Eating Out

Nuwara Eliya

$102 20.1%

Ankara

$208 14.9% 103% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuwara Eliya

$81 15.9%

Ankara

$129 9.3% 59% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nuwara Eliya

$70 13.8%

Ankara

$136 9.8% 94% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Nuwara Eliya

$9 * 1.8%

Ankara

$88 6.3% 873% $79

Getting Around

Nuwara Eliya

$1.9 * 0.4%

Ankara

$20 1.5% 964% $19

Accommodation & Living

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0%

Ankara

$557 40.1%

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 $25 in Nuwara Eliya versus $44 in Ankara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $251 – making Nuwara Eliya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🇹🇷 Ankara

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

2 h 30 min behind Nuwara Eliya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,500

5,864,049 Capital

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nuwara Eliya Ankara 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nuwara Eliya
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

Nuwara Eliya vs Ankara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankara costs about 172% more than Nuwara Eliya, 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 $764 per month in Nuwara Eliya and $2,083 in Ankara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $510 in Nuwara Eliya and $1,389 in Ankara. That makes Nuwara Eliya about 63% cheaper.

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

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nuwara Eliya, where all-in costs run around $510, than in Ankara at $1,389. In Nuwara Eliya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ankara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ankara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $510 in Nuwara Eliya to $1,389 in Ankara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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