Moving to Sri Lanka from Turkey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to Sri Lanka — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Turkey to Sri Lanka, you would find that Sri Lanka is 46.0% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly LKR13,400,000 in Sri Lanka to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Sinhala and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Colombo averages 87°F vs 65°F in Istanbul, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Sri Lanka cheaper than Turkey?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 52.9% less
Groceries
pay 22.1% more
Transportation
pay 50.7% less
Housing
pay 47.9% less
Childcare
pay 95.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Sri Lanka?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → LKR13,400,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sri Lanka
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Sri Lanka
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Turkey to Sri Lanka, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Sri Lanka?
Top countries of origin for Sri Lanka's foreign-born residents.
- 10,837
- 5,168
- 2,481
- 1,753
- 1,688
- 1,416
- · · ·
-
43.44
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
How Turkey and Sri Lanka stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sri Lanka performs significantly better than Turkey across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Turkey performs better than Sri Lanka across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Sri Lanka leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Turkey generally does better on family life, though Sri Lanka leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Sri Lanka vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Colombo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
National Meteorological Centre
Can you move from Turkey to Sri Lanka?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and Sri Lanka. To live, work, or study long-term in Sri Lanka, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sri Lanka's immigration authority.
Turkey passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Sri Lanka than Turkey?
Generally yes: Sri Lanka runs about 46% cheaper than Turkey on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Sri Lanka?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around LKR3,350,000 in Sri Lanka for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sri Lanka?
With 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sri Lanka can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Turkey and Sri Lanka.
Is Sri Lanka safe for expats?
Turkey performs better than Sri Lanka across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sri Lanka is 3.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Sri Lanka compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Sri Lanka, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Sri Lanka scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Colombo is 87°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Colombo receives around 99.4 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Sri Lanka?
The official languages in Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
