If you are thinking of coming to Istanbul but have no idea how much budget you should allocate for this trip, this article is for you. In this article, you will be able to find out what the cost of a trip to Istanbul will be, and important tips to reduce costs.
Is Istanbul an expensive city?
The answer is no.
Although living in Istanbul is not so easy financially for the people of Istanbul, the weakness of the Turkish Lira against the Euro and Dollar exchange rate makes the visit to Istanbul very attractive especially for the citizens of the country whose currency is Euro and Dollar.
Istanbul ranks 325th among 440 cities in the cost of living index of 2020. This data can give you an idea to compare the cost of living of your city with Istanbul. You can access the related data by clicking the link.
The Cost Of Getting To Istanbul
The most practical way to travel to Istanbul is, of course, to travel by plane. There are two airports in Istanbul, one on the European Side and the other on the Anatolian Side. You can choose one of these two airports by considering the location of Istanbul where your accommodation is located.
Flight prices to Istanbul from Europe can be as low as 170 Euros (round trip) per person if you buy your flight tickets a few months ago. The price is around $ 1200 for flights from the United States and $ 1100 for flights from Japan. (Indirect Flights)
If you are looking for a low budget flight, it will be useful to look at Pegasus Airlines. If you say “Price is important, but I cannot compromise on quality”, the place to look at should be Turkish Airlines.
Apart from these two Turkish Airlines companies, you can also look at Wizz Air, which offers cheap flights to Istanbul from some parts of Europe.
If you come from a country near Turkey’s western border (such as Greece, Bulgaria, Romania etc.) to Istanbul, coming by a car might be an alternative. In Turkey, there are a total of 5 border gates, 3 of which open to Greece (Uzunköprü, İpsala and Karaağaç – Pazarkule) and 2 to Bulgaria (Kapıkule and Aziziye/Dereköy).
Bridge crossings and the use of some highways in Istanbul are subject to charge, and the liter price of gasoline is approximately 0.7 Euro.
Accomodation In Istanbul
Istanbul offers many different alternatives to its visitors in terms of accommodation. You can find detailed information about accommodation on the “Accommodation” page on our website.
Accommodation prices vary according to the type of accommodation you choose, the location and quality of the place you stay. Choosing to stay in a place on the European side of Istanbul will make it easier for you to reach the popular touristic points you will visit.
To put it briefly for this section, you can stay in double rooms in 3-star hotels located at points where you can reach the tourist attractions of Istanbul by public transport in a short time for 50 Euros.
Public Transportation
Public transportation is cheap in Istanbul. But after reading this article, you will be able to halve the transportation costs you will make in Istanbul.
The most suitable alternative for visitors is the “Tourist Pass” card. As of February 2019, the cost of the card is only 6 TL (from the machines) or 7 TL (from most kiosks). If you use this card, the tolls are as follows:
Buses: 2.60 TL
Tram: 2.60 TL
Metro: 2.60 TL
Cable Car: 2.60 TL
Funicular: 2.60 TL
Boats: 2.60-4.00 TL
As an another option (especially for short-term visits) you can consider disposable cards. One-time ticket fee for public transportation in Istanbul is 7,00 TL (1 Euro). Fees vary according to the number of uses as follows:
2 Pass: 11.00 TL
3 Pass: 15.00 TL
5 Pass: 23.00 TL
10 Pass: 40.00 TL
You can obtain these cards from the kiosks at the metro and tram stops.
Food & Drink
It would not be wrong to say that Istanbul is food paradise. There are many restaurant alternatives in Istanbul, where traditional Turkish food meets flavors unique to different cultures. You can find detailed information on our Food & Drink page on our website.
You can have a traditional Turkish breakfast (open buffet) at the seaside or in a historical place for 10-15 Euro per person. In middle class places, the price drops to 7-10 Euros.
You can have a quality lunch or dinner average of 8-10 Euro per person. If you are a person who likes to go out for fun at night, it will cost around 30 Euros.
The above mentioned prices are average and you can also find places with prices well below or above the stated prices. Our recommendation is to choose the places you will eat in advance as much as possible and definitely check the price list where you go.
To give an idea, the prices of some foods and beverages in Istanbul are as follows:
Mc Donalds Big Mac Menu: 19,99 TL
Burger King Big King Menu: 19,90 TL
Starbucks Filter Coffee (Grande): 9,75 TL
Marlboro Red (20 pack): 18,00 TL
Water (0.33 lT bottle) : 1.50 TL
Efes Pisen Beer (Canned) 50 cl: 10,00 TL
Carlsberg Beer (Canned) 50 cl: 10,50 TL
Coca-Cola (Canned) 330 ml: 2,95 TL
Attractions Prices
Below are the breakdown of the prices for major tourist attractions in Istanbul:
Hagia Sophia Museum (Guided Tour) – Regular price €21
Topkapi Palace Museum (Guided Tour) – Regular price €17
Basilica Cistern (Guided Tour) – Regular price €10
Istanbul Whirling Dervishes Show – Regular price €18
Blue Mosque (Guided Tour) – Regular price €10
Grand Bazaar and Turkish Handcrafts Workshop – Regular price €10
Bosphorus Cruise – Regular price €4
Hagia Irene Church Museum (Guided Tour) – Regular price €10
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Guided Tour) – Regular price €11
Sakip Sabanci Museum – Regular price €5
But don’t let the above prices scare you. Thanks to the “Istanbul Welcome Card” and “Tourist Pass Card”, you can reduce these costs. For example, by paying 99 Euros for the Istanbul Tourist Card (Deluxe), you can visit 12 museums and gain a total of 20 passes in public transportation.
For more detailed information, please visit the Travel Cards & Passes page on our website.
Communication
In Istanbul you will reach free WiFi at the accommodation, city’s free WiFi spots, restaurants, cafes; so you don’t need to spend for Internet and Turkey SIM card. For more information, please visit “Communication” page on our website.
But if you’d like to buy a Turkish sim card some options are below:
Turkcell Tourist Welcome Pack: 149 TL
When you buy the Tourist Welcome Pack, you have 20GB internet, 200min. calls in all directions, unlimited messaging via BiP & whatsapp valid for 30 days. You can get your SIM card from the nearest Turkcell store.
Vodafone Prepaid SIM Card For Your Holiday: 80 TL
When you buy prepaid holiday sim card, you have the holiday tariff for free with 20GB data, 750 Min. and 1000 SMS valid (LOCAL) for 30 days. Get your prepaid holiday simcard at Vodafone Shops.
Conclusion
Let’s calculate the average cost of a 1-week trip of two people coming to Istanbul from the European region:
Flight: 350 Euro
Accomodation: 300 Euro
Transportation: 45 Euro
Food & Drink: 280 Euro
Attractions: 200 Euro
Other Expenses: 260 Euro
Communication: 20 Euro
TOTAL: 1455 Euro
