More often than not, it's pretty pricey to live in a capital city. In fact, some of the most expensive cities in the world are from capital cities. Paris, London, Washington D.C., Singapore—these are places that you'll need to be earning a lot in order to live a standard lifestyle. With that said, there's also Istanbul, the capital city of Turkey. Though Turkey is, by no means, a cheap city, it is pretty affordable. At least, when you take into consideration the country's currency. When talking about the living costs here in terms of Turkish liras, Istanbul isn't that bad!
Costs of Renting in Istanbul
Let's start with the rent. More often than not, the standard rental fees in a city represent just how expensive or affordable it is to live there. Here in Istanbul, you can get a one-bedroom place that will cost you ₺1,000.00 to ₺4,000.00 a month. But if your want to go for a three-bedroom
luxury apartment, on the other hand, it'll cost you ₺2,000.00 to ₺7,000.00 a month. Now, on the surface, they all seem like pretty high prices, right? But if you factor in the contact of the average salaries in Turkey, which range from ₺1,980.00 to ₺35,000.00 according to the
job market here, they no longer look that bad!
Costs of Buying Property in Istanbul
Of course, when it comes to buying property in Istanbul, it's a whole other ballgame! In actuality, there's really no such thing as property that's cheap. If you're seeking to buy actual land to own, you will have to spend a pretty penny for it. Regardless of how expensive or how affordable the standard of living is in that particular place. Going back to Istanbul, the price per square meter here differed depending on which part of the city is. Among the
central neighborhoods of Istanbul, it'll cost you around ₺8,000.00 to ₺20,000.00 per square meter while in outer areas, they range from ₺3,450.00 to ₺10,763.91 per square meter.
Utilities Costs
If you thought the costs for rent and buying property in Istanbul were still a bit too high for comfort, at least your utility costs here aren't that bad. For all your basic bills, it will only cost you around ₺311.67 to ₺850.00 per month. This will already include your electricity, water, heating, garbage disposal, and the like. Of course, if you live in a bigger-than-average home and use up more appliances than the standard, such costs would be higher. As for your wifi? Getting one for your home will only cost about ₺86.00 to ₺300.00 a month.
Food Costs
In the whole grand scheme of things, food costs aren't that bad in Istanbul either. It's just that, when you compare it to those in other cities, the Turkish capital's costs seem higher than normal. However, you still have to remember that the local currency also comes into play. Nevertheless, the total common median price for food in Istanbul is ₺341.94. This takes into account various grocery necessities such as milk, a loaf of bread, 1.5 liters of water, cheese fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. They'll probably last you around one-to-two weeks tops, which makes the figure not bad, right?
Dining Costs
Now, what about dining out? Istanbul does have
a ton of great places to dine in, but will they all cost you an arm and a leg? The truth is that it doesn't have to! Although there are a ton of upscale restaurants in the city that are expensive, they're not the only culinary hotspots worth checking out. In fact, it's pretty common to spend just ₺20.00 to ₺50.00 for a good meal in an inexpensive place. Meanwhile, you can still treat someone to a three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant and it will only cost you ₺100.00 to ₺300.00 tops!
Transportation Costs
As old as you think Istanbul is,
public transport here is actually thriving. And it's thanks to this that the costs for getting around the city aren't that high. A single ride on any of the modes of public transportation here only costs around ₺3.50 to ₺5.00. Double those figures for a round-trip and you'll only need to spend ₺7.00 to ₺10.00 to get to the destination and back! The starting fare among taxis here usually ranges from ₺5.00 to ₺10.00. However, if you got one via a
transportation app, there will be an added app fare to the total cost.
Clothing Costs
Istanbul is far from what many would consider a 'fashion capital' so it makes sense that the clothing costs here aren't that high. Although there are still some shopping districts, malls, and the like that have designer stores, for the most part, shopping in the Turkish capital is pretty affordable. Getting a piece from a high street brand, for instance, would only cost ₺99.00 to ₺300.00 each. If you want a pair of jeans, regardless of the brand or not, you'll only have to spend around ₺150.00 to ₺500.00 on them. And for a new pair of kicks, they'll cost you ₺300.00 to ₺800.00.
Leisure Costs
Surely leisure is affordable in Istanbul, right? For the most part, it is. If you're the type to work out and you want to join a gym, a monthly membership fee will only be around ₺100.00 to ₺350.00. Of course, if you go for the more upscale and luxurious fitness club, these figures would be a lot higher. What if you want to rent a court to play sports on the weekends? It'll cost you about ₺50.00 to ₺200.00 per hour. And if you want to watch a movie, a single cinema ticket here costs around ₺24.00 to ₺50.00 each.
Childcare & Education Costs
Finally, when you want to invest in your child's safety and future, prepare to shell out a ton of money. While they're little, you can enroll them in a private daycare center to ensure they're well-taken-care-of while you're busy during the day. This will cost you around ₺1,000.00 to ₺4,000.00 per month. And when they grow older, if you want them to study in the best places,
Istanbul's international schools will surely do. The tuition fees here range from around ₺30,000.00 to ₺90,000.00 a year! It will be quite the investment but a worthy one nonetheless!
It's so easy to think that Istanbul, the capital city of Turkey, is an expensive city to live in. While it's by no means cheap here, if you just focus on the local currency, you'll realize that it's actually a lot more affordable and pretty average than you thought!
