- How much does it cost to rent a house in Turkey?
- Utilities, housing maintenance and Internet in Turkey
- How much does mobile communication cost in Turkey?
- Food prices in Turkey
- Spending on leisure and entertainment in Turkey
- How much does education cost in Turkey?
- Is medicine expensive in Turkey?
- Transportation costs in Turkey
- Spending on clothes
- How much money do I need to stay in Turkey?
The rise in prices affects, first of all, the Turks themselves, although their salaries are growing. It is the next rise in tea prices or utilities that the locals often discuss over their traditional daily tea drinking.
Immigrants, even those who receive income in foreign currencies, as well as tourists, are also affected by price hikes! This is noted by both Europeans and Russians. Prices for literally everything increased not only in lira, but also in euros, which immediately affected not only the interest in real estate, but also the tourist flow.
According to the results of last year, the Republic of Turkey entered the top five countries in the world with the highest inflation. In July 2024, it reached almost 62% year-on-year, which is already better than almost 72% a month earlier. The central bank started raising the key rate a year ago, and has since brought it from 8.5% to 50%. The effect of these measures is not yet very noticeable due to their untimeness, many analysts believe (before that, the rate had not been touched for 2 years).
According to forecasts of the Central Bank of Turkey, at the end of 2024, inflation in the country may reach 44%, and the exchange rate of the national currency will fall to 40.5 lira per US dollar.
How much does it cost to rent a house in Turkey?
Rental rates depend on the city, area, age and equipment of the house. For example, let's take a 2+1 apartment in a good sieve with a swimming pool and a well-groomed territory in a beloved by foreigners Alanya. In 5 years, the cost of renting it has increased 10 times in lira, and doubled in dollars. Now it will cost about $ 700 to rent such an apartment. Renting a house in an ordinary house, not in a sieve, is much more affordable, in the region of 10,000 lira ($300) unfurnished and 15,000 lira ($450) furnished.
The resort capital of Turkey Antalya is traditionally more expensive. A two-bedroom apartment in Konyalti, 5 minutes from the beach, is offered from $800 to $1,000 per month.
In the province of Mersin, where many citizens of the CIS countries have already settled, I will rent apartments a little cheaper. In the Salt area close to the center, it is possible to rent 2 + 1 in the region of $ 600, in Teja and Arpachbakhshish from $ 450. In Tashuju, where the Russian builders of the nuclear power plant "Akkuyu" settle, a furnished 2-bedroom apartment can be rented for $ 650 per month.
In Istanbul, the spread of housing prices is very large, as the city itself is huge and diverse. In the European part, for example, in Esenyurt, it is possible to find a studio unfurnished from 6,500 lira (about $ 200) per month, with furniture from 8,500 ($250). The budget for a newly equipped 2+1 apartment in an area with good transport accessibility: approximately $ 1,200 per month.
If you are planning to purchase real estate in Turkey, then now is a good time. Since the beginning of 2024, the buyer's market has been established. In July, housing prices adjusted for inflation, according to the Central Bank, decreased by 14.3% year-on-year (in nominal terms, growth continued). Private sellers are willing to make discounts of up to 20%, since 2-3 years ago they bought their apartments much cheaper. In some cases, developers also make various concessions. Although, we emphasize that the choice of a company should be approached carefully. Stagnation has already provoked several bankruptcies of developers in resort regions. We also note that the purchase of an apartment will help you solve the issue of a residence permit in Turkey only if the transaction amount indicated in the tapu exceeds $ 200,000.
Utilities, housing maintenance and Internet in Turkey
Since July 1, 2024, electricity tariffs in Turkey have been increased by 38%, to 2.03 lira per 1 kW per hour. So, a family of three people paid 3,600 lira ($106) for electricity last month, while, in addition to the standard cost, they had 2 air conditioners working at night.
Water bills have also increased not so long ago, but not so significantly. The tariff for the first 5 cubic meters was raised to 10 lira per cubic meter. Further up to 20 cubic meters - 11 liras, above 20 - 18 liras. A family of two adults and a child, without saving much, pays about 175 lira per month ($5). The rates, by the way, are valid only for citizens and residents. Consumption for a "guest" subscription issued for a foreign passport will cost 3.5 times more expensive.
The fee for the maintenance of the residential complex – maintenance of the swimming pool, elevators, common areas – is called aydat in Turkey. The size of the salad depends on the size of the sieve and its filling. In a small residential complex, owners pay 500-600 liras per month, or about 200 – 250 dollars per year.
Home Internet from Turk Telekom or Vodafone costs 320-350 liras ($9-10) per month. Please note that a foreigner can connect the Internet at home only if they have a residence permit. If there is no residence permit, you will either have to use a mobile phone, or arrange with someone from the local to sign a contract with the provider in your name. There is an exception in Alanya – Fibim NET company provides services to foreigners only by passport.
In Mersin, AratWifi also did not require a residence permit before, but now it does.
Local providers such as AratWifi have more flexible tariffs. They are preferable if you visit Turkey on a regular basis and do not want to pay for communication during your absence.
How much does mobile communication cost in Turkey?
The cost of mobile communication does not depend on the region. The cheapest operator is Bimcell (daughter of TurkTelekom). Monthly package (750 minutes of conversation, 250 SMS and 3 GB of Internet)It costs 160 lire.A similar package will cost 255 liras at TurkTelekom and 230 liras at Turkcell. The Internet can be purchased additionally.
A foreigner without a residence permit can put a SIM card of a Turkish operator, but there is a caveat: after 120 days, the connection will be blocked until the new calendar year.
If you have a residence permit, you can register your phone in Turkey by paying a hefty tax, or purchase a local device.
An alternative for non-residents is a digital SIM card, for example, Aloair, which makes it possible to use the Internet, but not to make calls. A 20 GB monthly package can be purchased for $26. This is the most expensive tariff. The less traffic, the cheaper it is.Food prices in Turkey
Meat and fish lovers in Turkey will have to fork out, and vegetarians, on the contrary, will be able to save a lot.
- Large chicken eggs 86 lira ($2.5) for 30 pcs.
- Milk is 30 lire ($0.9) per liter
- Beef, flesh – 550 lire per kg ($16)
- Chicken drumstick, carcass – 100 lira ($3) per kg
- Chicken fillet 170 lira ($5) per kg
- Dorada or sea bass 270 lira ($8) per kg
- Lamb – 300 lira ($9) per kg on the market
- Salmon, steaks – 500 lire ($15) per kg
- Buckwheat - 75 lira ($2.2) per kg
- Pasta – 30 lira ($0.9) per kg
- Round-grain rice - 30 lira ($0.9) per kg
- Olive oil – 227 lire ($7) per liter
- Sunflower oil – 49 liras ($1.4) per liter
- Yogurt – 12 lire ($0.35) per 100 g
- Bananas – 50 lira ($1.5) per kg (in the store)
- Apricots – 50 lira ($1.5) per kg (in store)
- Plums – 50 lira ($1.5) per kg (in store)
- Carrots - 30 lira ($0.9) per kg (in store)
- Tomatoes - 12 lire ($0.35) per kg (on the market in season)
- Zucchini - 15 lira ($0.4) per kg (on the market in season)
- Eggplant - 15 lira ($0.4) per kg (on the market in season)
- Potatoes - 15 lira ($0.4) per kg (on the market in season)
- Onions – 15 lire ($0.4) per kg (on the market in season)
- Pide in the bakery (flatbread with sesame seeds) – 12 lire ($0.35)
Thus, eggs, milk, yoghurts, rice cost about the same as in Russia. Fruits and vegetables, especially at the height of the season on the market, are very cheap. Fish prices are disappointing, they are about the same as in the Russian Federation, despite the fact that the path to the Russian counter for sea bass or perch, to put it mildly, is longer.
What really makes you grab your head is the price of meat. It is about 1.5-2 times more expensive than in the Russian Federation - about 1600-2000 rubles per kilogram of beef or lamb. However, it is believed that the quality of meat products in Turkey is better.
NoticeablyAlcohol is also about 3 times more expensive than in Russia. In addition, according to old-timers, you can run into fake low-quality drinks in untested establishments.
How can I save money in Turkey? Foreigners who permanently reside in the country and have a local phone number apply for a discount card in the same Migros or Carrefour, and also download the application to receive notifications about discounts. This already allows you to spend significantly less. Rational immigrants do not neglect supermarket promotions and buy, for example, duck for the future at a good price.
By the way, from time to time special offers for Turkish-made household appliances appear in chain stores. Let's say a factory closes the production of a certain series of gas stoves or ovens, and sells the leftovers through large retailers 2-3 times cheaper.
Conventionally, stores in Turkey can be ranked as follows: "Carrefour" is more expensive, "Migros" and "Bim" in the middle price segment, "Shock" and "A101"ndash; more budget-friendly.
In each area of the resort towns, on certain days of the week, a pazar market for vegetables and fruits grown in neighboring farms opens. There are also stationary markets. Buying the freshest tomatoes, peaches or cherries of gigantic sizes from local merchants is both pleasant and profitable. Another nuance is that, all other things being equal, prices at the bazaar in Mersin are lower than in Alanya or Antalya.
Spending on leisure and entertainment in Turkey
Dinner for four at a restaurant in the center of Antalya will cost about $ 50-65 without alcohol.
In a kebab shop designed for locals, lunch for four people, also without alcohol, will cost 40-50 dollars.
You can also order meals at home, for example, through the applications Yemeksepeti or Getir. It often turns out to be cheaper than eating in a restaurant or cafe.
Many tourists this season complained about the high cost of establishments. However, not only kebab “Adana” and lentil soup traumatized travelers, but also seemingly insensitive institutions such as museums, which also reprint price lists every 2-3 weeks. For example, if an excursion tour of antiquities includes 5-6 stops, and at each point you need to pay 200-300 lira for one ticket, in total you will pay only about 1000 1,500 lira (30-45 dollars) for admission to museums, excluding transportation costs and guide services.
It gives great savings to lovers of attractions museum card admission to state museums is free. Some time ago, they stopped selling them to foreigners, even those with a residence permit. Currently, holders of a residence permit can purchase a one-year Müzekart for 500 liras ($14).
How much does education cost in Turkey?
Public schools in Turkey are free. If the family legally resides in the country, the child can attend a local school. The training in them is in Turkish. On the downside, classes are often crowded.
Prices for private schools vary by city, and also depend on the class of study. "Elementary" is cheaper. For example, in Alanya in Hasbahçe Köşkü a one-year course in the fourth grade will cost 150,000 liras ($4,400), including the cost of lunches. You can use a 10-month installment plan. In the more "hyped" college, the fee for a fourth-grader's year of study is 180,000 lira ($5,300). Studying in the senior classes of the elite Alanya school has reached 10,000 euros per year, plus 2000-3000 for textbooks, meals, transfers.
Compared to last year, prices have increased almost 2 times! In Istanbul, Antalya schools are usually more expensive.
The cost of private kindergartens varies from about 3,000 ($88) to 10,000 liras ($300) per month. This price includes the child's stay in the group from 8:30 to 17:30 and meals - breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
Is medicine expensive in Turkey?
A year after obtaining a residence permit and living in Turkey, the family can apply for a state insurance policy SGK. It is inexpensive and provides almost 100% coverage of services in public institutions and up to 30% in private ones.
If there are no grounds for obtaining such a policy, you can insure yourself in a private company. The price depends on the city, your age and the desired package and ranges from about 2,000 ($60) to 25,000 lira ($750) per year. The expensive option involves 80-100% coverage of services in clinics and hospitals in Istanbul.
The cost of a visit to a specialist varies for citizens, residents and non-residents. In addition, it varies greatly from hospital to hospital and from specialist to specialist. On average, a visit to the doctor to a patient without a residence permit will result in 1000-5000 liras (30-150 dollars). A five-day stay of a child in the hospital, if there is no insurance for him, can cost about 500,000 rubles.
Transportation costs in Turkey
Transport prices also depend on the region. In Antalya and Alanya, city bus fare costs 23 lira, but if you pay with a bank card, it is slightly more expensive. It will cost 60 liras to get by dolmush from the center of Mersin to Arpachbakhshish.
In Istanbul, the fare on the metrobus or the Marmaray train is calculated by the number of stops. As an example, you can take the full cost from the end to the end. In the first case, it is 26.25 lira, in the second - 33.2 lira.
Every major municipality has a transport card that allows you to save on transfers, gives discounts to privileged categories, for example, schoolchildren. In Istanbul, for example, several varieties of the Istanbul Card are produced.
Spending on clothes
Popular brands of international brands are represented in Turkey. The prices for clothes, shoes, and accessories are quite European. As everywhere, there are seasonal discounts. If you apply for a discount card and download the app of your favorite store, you can learn about promotions in the first rows and save up to 80%.
The textile industry in Turkey is modernized and prosperous. Foreign women visiting resorts know well that the bed linen and towels are of excellent quality here. There are many adherents of the Turkish LC WAIKIKI brand among Russians. Clothes of this brand in Turkey cost about the same as in Russia.
How much money do I need to stay in Turkey?
The monthly budget, of course, depends on the lifestyle, individual circumstances and consumption habits of each particular family.
Minimum for two adults and a child attending a public school, excluding rent: 900 - 1000 dollars per month.
Subscribers of the telegram channel, which unites Russian-speaking residents of Tashuju, agreed that a comfortable amount for a family of three is 150,000 rubles per month, excluding rent. You can live on 120,000 rubles, but you will have to follow the principles of austerity.
Thus, the total figure, including the rental of housing, which is worth focusing on, is at least $ 2,000 for three family members.
The most expensive provinces of Turkey to live in: Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Antalya. Mersin is not such a hyped tourist center, therefore it is cheaper.
Much cheaper is non-touristic Turkey. According to statistics, the most affordable places in terms of daily spending are towns in eastern and southeastern Anatolia: Agra, Kars, Igdir, Ardagan, Mardin, Batman, Shirnak.
For example, in ski Kars, renting a non-old 2+1 apartment costs only 5000 lira, in the town of Agra - 6500 lira, that is, 3 times less than similar housing in Alanya would cost.
Among the large cities there are also those in which it is not so expensive to live, for example, the ancient capital of the Seljuks Konya, as well as Antep, Urfa. Foreigners rarely choose these destinations, as they have cool, snowy winters, and the population is more religious and conservative.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material Anastasia Kezik, Marketing Director Alanya Property Sales.
Sources:
https://journal-neo.su/ru/2024/04/03/pochemu-tureczkaya-ekonomika-ne-mozhet-vybratsya-iz-krizisa/
