Average Cost of Living in Turkey 2024

When many People all around the world consider traveling to Europe for tourism, work, study, or even residence. Turkey often tops the list of options for several reasons, alongside its relatively low standards of living compared to European countries and many Gulf countries.

About 7 million Arabs currently live in Turkey, other millions from Asian countries, and the cost of living in Turkey is what most occupies those who intend to travel there. In the following lines, we provide an overview of the cost of living there, to help you make your decision to travel and prepare for that.

Several criteria must be taken into consideration, including the number of family members intending to live in Turkey and the social level they live at, as well as the social and scientific orientation of the family.

In this article we will mention the average total cost of living in Turkey for the student and the family, then we will detail the average of each of these costs separately.

The average cost of living in Turkey

• We can say that the average living for students in Turkey ranges between
• $250 and $500 depending on the student's standard of living
  
• As for the family, a family of 5 needs an average of $1,000 per month.

Read also about: How to begin studying in Turkey?

Average rental prices in Turkey

The average monthly rent for a two-room apartment in one of the coastal cities with a view of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey ranges between 300$ - 500$ for 1 personal bedroom.

The matter is relatively different in Istanbul, which is the center of trade and economy, and the first destination for Arab and foreign tourists in Turkey, as the standard of living is relatively high compared to other cities, we review some of its aspects here.

• The monthly rent in housing outside the housing complexes in Turkey "unfurnished" starts from $200, and varies according to the location and the number of rooms and starts from $300 if the housing is furnished.
• Monthly rent in housing in "untouched" apartment complexes starts from $250 and varies according to the location and number of rooms and starts from $350 in case the housing is furnished, this is in addition to a monthly amount paid for services provided by the complex ranging between $50 and $100 per month.
• Government student housing expenses are very low because they are subsidized by the government, but competition for it is also high.
• As for the monthly rent for private student housing, it starts from $ 300 per month, but it also varies according to the location and the number of individuals in the room.
• And there is tourist housing, which is housing units that are rented on a daily or weekly basis, to stay for a short period with the aim of tourism and the average monthly rent is 1000 dollars.
• As for hotel accommodation, it differs according to the service provided, but the minimum stay in a hotel in Turkey is $30 per day.

Read more about: Why Turkey?

The average cost of food in Turkey

• The cost of breakfast in restaurants ranges between one and two dollars
• The average cost of a lunch in restaurants is $ 5
• Food prices in Turkey are generally cheap, and of course, it increases if you decide to head to a restaurant for a meal.

Turkish products canned, wrapped, and chilled are characterized by great quality and reasonable prices. Arabic products such as Arabic bread and other products that suit Arabic cuisine like the different types of rice and spices are available in commercial stores that display Arabic products.

The catering and hypermarket markets are spread in big cities, and cover various parts of the country through their chain of branches.

Such markets are characterized by cheap prices and a large abundance of exhibits, which are present in every neighborhood and are closer to mini markets such as A101, BIM, and ŞOK, which offers wholesale service, including Bizim and Metro, and there are chains of international stores such as Carrefour.

The average cost of monthly bills in Turkey

• Electricity: $14
• Water: $20
• Gas: $5
• Internet: $12
• Phone bill: $5

The average cost of public and private schools in Turkey

• Governmental schools: The student does not bear any fees to attend public schools, it is completely free for both foreigners and Turks
• International private schools in the American system: The cost of enrollment ranges between 4 thousand and 10 thousand dollars
• Schools for the Arabic system: The cost of joining them ranges between two thousand and four thousand dollars.

The average cost of public and private universities in Turkey

The cost of public universities

• ranges between 300 dollars to 1500 dollars for engineering colleges and administrative specialties, while for medical colleges, it ranges between 500 dollars to 7 thousand dollars annually.

Learn about: Top 10 Best Public Universities in Turkey

The cost of private universities

• The cost of engineering colleges and administrative specialties ranges between $2,000 to $12,000.
•  As for medical colleges, they range from $10,000 to $25,000.

Know about: Learn about Top 10 private universities in Turkey

The average cost of buying clothes in Turkey

• The cost of purchasing a complete outfit from local "Turkish" brands reaches 50 dollars
• The cost of purchasing a complete outfit from international brands starts from 150 dollars

The average cost of health insurance in Turkey

• Residence company insurance: It is weak insurance that covers only emergency cases and costs $30 a year
• International companies’ insurance: It covers all expenses in the best private hospitals and costs $700 annually per person
• Student SGK state insurance: $190 a year
• SGK state insurance for tourist residence permit cardholders: $100 per month
• SGK state insurance for work permit holders: $120 per month, and is borne by the company he works for

The cost of entering public entertainment places in Turkey

Access to public parks is free for residents of Turkey

• Zoo entrance fees: the fee varies depending on the type of accommodation an individual holds, but the average cost is $10.
• Big theme park ticket: costs an average of $20.
• Cinema ticket: starts from 25 liras for a student to 35 liras for non-students.

Transportation costs in Turkey

The cost of public transportation is a little high, especially in Istanbul, but the student has a special advantage in transportation prices, as they can make a student package that includes all public transportation at a price of

7 USD, which suffices for the whole month.

As for the student without the package, public transportation prices are almost half of their original price.

The taxi fares start from 1.5$ as the beginning of the fare, with an increase of 0.2$ per kilometer. 

The least that can be paid for the minimum distance is 1.7$ (there is no distinction between student and non-student).

• The price of a ticket for public buses nearby: is 0.3$.
• Fares for public buses: 0.3$
• Subway ticket price: 0.4$
• The price of a Metrobus ticket: is 0.7$

The average cost of buying home supplies in Turkey

• It costs $1,500 to buy second-hand home furnishing.
• It costs $4,000 to buy a whole new house furniture

Buying vegetables, fruits, and food supplies in Turkey

The municipal market and its prices are low and are often 40% less than the price in regular stores

Average purchase of electronics in Turkey

Foreign electronic devices are very expensive, sometimes 30% to 100% above their normal price; Therefore, it is recommended to purchase all electronic devices from outside Turkey. 

Read more about: Application Requirements to Study in Turkey in 2023

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