😐A single person spends $1,081 per month in Turkey vs $486 in Sri Lanka, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Turkey vs $778 in Sri Lanka, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $2,268 per month in Turkey vs $1,070 in Sri Lanka, rent included.
🌍The cost of living in Turkey is about 122% higher than in Sri Lanka on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.
📊Both Turkey and Sri Lanka are more affordable than the global median – Turkey 19% lower, Sri Lanka 64% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.90₺420
$3.26LKR 1,095
173.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.67₺1,776
$23.06LKR 7,748
63.36%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.72₺364
$6.83LKR 2,296
13.03%
Cappuccino
$3.33₺157
$2.66LKR 895
25.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34₺63.1
$0.68LKR 228
97.06%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48₺22.73
$0.36LKR 122
33.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.59₺169
$2.37LKR 795
51.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45₺210
$3.31LKR 1,114
34.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.99₺46.49
$1.67LKR 562
-40.72%
White Bread(500g)
$0.81₺38.28
$0.55LKR 184
47.27%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.18₺103
$0.79LKR 264
175.95%
Eggs
$2.31₺109
$2.16LKR 727
6.94%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₺465
$13.05LKR 4,383
-24.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.71₺269
$4.72LKR 1,587
20.97%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$19.55₺922
$7.57LKR 2,545
158.26%
Apples(1kg)
$1.34₺63.1
$7.19LKR 2,414
-81.36%
Banana(1kg)
$2.28₺107
$1.03LKR 345
121.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.23₺57.9
$5.53LKR 1,857
-77.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.53₺72.1
$1.38LKR 464
10.87%
Potato(1kg)
$0.72₺34.00
$1.11LKR 371
-35.14%
Onion(1kg)
$0.61₺28.94
$1.21LKR 406
-49.59%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.04₺49.23
$1.18LKR 398
-11.86%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47₺22.32
$0.53LKR 179
-11.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14₺101
$9.99LKR 3,357
-78.58%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.22₺529
$12.05LKR 4,047
-6.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13₺100
$2.05LKR 690
3.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97₺140
$2.79LKR 938
6.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.72₺33.83
$0.24LKR 80.9
200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$46.57₺2,196
$5.05LKR 1,698
822.18%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.09₺51.5
$0.41LKR 138
165.85%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.66₺31.07
$0.33LKR 109
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.77₺367
$0.48LKR 161
1518.75%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.17₺55.2
$1.29LKR 434
-9.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.5K₺2.0M
$26.6KLKR 8.9M
59.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.2K₺2.0M
$37.6KLKR 12.6M
15.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$69.0₺3,256
$47.84LKR 16.1K
44.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.86₺512
$4.46LKR 1,498
143.50%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.06₺663
$15.11LKR 5,078
-6.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.31₺2,326
$12.74LKR 4,282
287.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.14₺856
$6.20LKR 2,084
192.58%
Cinema Ticket
$6.47₺305
$3.28LKR 1,104
97.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$637₺30.1K
$37.68LKR 12.7K
1591.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.9K₺607.8K
$452LKR 152.0K
2748.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.5₺2,569
$27.71LKR 9,309
96.57%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.31₺2,090
$19.10LKR 6,419
131.99%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$108₺5,071
$64.0LKR 21.5K
67.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.7₺4,468
$36.62LKR 12.3K
158.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$646₺30.5K
$268LKR 90.2K
140.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$445₺21.0K
$142LKR 47.9K
212.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,173₺55.3K
$621LKR 208.6K
88.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$722₺34.0K
$270LKR 90.6K
167.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,740₺82.1K
$3,655LKR 1.2M
-52.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,058₺49.9K
$1,094LKR 367.7K
-3.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turkey
Sri Lanka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,087₺51.2K
$211LKR 70.8K
415.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
42.38
16.21
161.44%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Turkey: July 14, 2026
Last update for Sri Lanka: July 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $527 in Turkey vs $55.0 in Sri Lanka. For reference, capital cities sit at $726 in Ankara and $341 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
💰Average salary: $1,041 in Turkey vs $191 in Sri Lanka. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 858% higher in Turkey.
⭐Dining out costs 58% more in Turkey.
⭐Public transport is 3000% more expensive in Turkey.
⭐Salaries are 445% higher in Turkey, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Turkey.
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
Turkey vs Sri Lanka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Sri Lanka and Turkey compare in cost of living?
Sri Lanka is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 246% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Sri Lanka and Turkey?
Housing costs more in Turkey, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Turkey consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Sri Lanka or Turkey?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sri Lanka, contributing to the overall 246% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $1,200 go in Sri Lanka compared to Turkey?
$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sri Lanka, but in Turkey it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Sri Lanka and in Turkey?
Sri Lanka is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.