Istanbul is a city that those who visit it love the whole experience. Because when you are in this city you don’t ever have to worry about what to do in Istanbul. For instance you can explore the many historical sights like Topkapi Palace or see the nature of Istanbul. Also, you can meet the people of Istanbul and explore the unique culture of the city. However, it is common to want to learn about cost of living and travel when you visit a new city. So, here on this blog post we will discuss Istanbul cost of living and travel.
As the largest city of Turkey, this city is the most expensive one in the country. But when you compare it with other cities of its size, you can see that prices in Istanbul can be very cheap. Regardless of whether you want to live here or just visit, you can easily do it on the cheap. So, let’s start learning about how much it costs to visit and live in this city. Then, see if your budget is ready for this beautiful city.
How Much Does A Trip To Istanbul Cost?
Whether you like this city for its people, history or incredible sights, you might wonder about the cost of travel. Before coming to visit any city, it is smart to learn about average costs of basic things. Because you don’t want to find out your budget won’t be enough right in the middle of your trip. So, let’s check out how much basic travel expenses cost in this city.
Firstly, we should start with prices of flights to Istanbul. Round trips to Istanbul from USA are around $900 while this price is around £200 for UK. Then, accomodation would be the most important expense that we should take a look at. And modest hotels in Istanbul are around $20 to $45 per person per night. So we are talking about $250 to $500 for a week of accomodation in Istanbul.
After flight and hotel costs, let’s take a look at other travel expenses such as food and transportation. When it comes to Istanbul street food, you have got many options to choose from. Therefore, how much you spend on food depends on your preferences. Usually a lunch or dinner for two people at an average place costs around $10. So, for $20, you can spend around $140 on food in a week in Istanbul. However, if you pick fancier places, you should expect the prices to be much higher.
As for the transportation in Istanbul you can use options such as bus, metro, tram, taxi or ferry. Considering that you will be moving around a lot as a tourist, one week of transport could cost around $75 to $100. Lastly if we add cost of visiting attractions and miscellaneous expenses, one week in Istanbul for two people can cost around $3000.
Cost Of Living In Istanbul
A nice trip to Istanbul can cost around $3000, but what about living in this city? When living in Istanbul, largest expense is accomodation. Depending on how big the apartment is and its location, rents are around $250 to $600 in Istanbul. Then, utilities like electric, water, internet and telephone can cost around $65 to $100. Also, you should expect to spend around $100-150 on heating during winter.
As for the food, it can cost somewhere around $25 for two people per day and $750 per month. Also, as you may not need to use transportation as much as a tourist it can cost $200 a month on average. Then, depending on how much you go shopping, you can spend around $40-80 on clothing in Istanbul. Lastly, extra expenses for fitness and entertainment could cost somewhere in between $100-200 a month. So, two people without kids or any other expenses can live comfortably for $1000-2000 in Istanbul.
Is Istanbul Expensive?
Since you now know the costs of living in Istanbul and travelling here, you can think about your budget more wisely. But do you need a huge budget to come here, or is Istanbul an expensive city? When we compare Istanbul to other cities in Turkey, you can see that it is more expensive to live or visit here. However, when we also take a look at its peers like Moscow, Tokyo, London or New York, Istanbul is definitely much cheaper.