Istanbul Life
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Istanbul Life
The ins and outs of living in Istanbul as an expat: how much it costs, the best areas, retirement opportunities, the pros & cons.
Being one of the most important cities in both Turkey and the world in terms of its cultural heritage, Istanbul welcomes millions of visitors every year. Many of them fall in love with the city and some of them come back as permanent residents.
In this guide, we will talk about what living in Istanbul as an expat is like and what you should expect if you decide to move to Turkey’s capital.
Istanbul is a great place to live if you are seeking cultural diversity, historical richness, and a vast sea.
Historically and geographically Istanbul unites both Asia and Europe. This helps to establish a bond between eastern and western cultures and creates a great sense of diversity in the city.
If you’re planning to move abroad and a diverse society is what you are looking for, consider Istanbul.
Istanbul never fails to charm. Quite a few expats and foreign retirees living in Istanbul at present will tell you that they have made the decision to stay after visiting this magical city as tourists.
Compared to other South European capitals, Istanbul is not a super expensive place to live.
You can live quite well in Istanbul on 2000€ (20,000 TL) a month if you are a moderate person.
However, there are no upper limits when it comes to spending your money in Istanbul. If you are after a lavish lifestyle, even a 10,000€/100,000TL monthly income might not be enough.
Istanbul offers lots of opportunities to shape your lifestyle and spend your money.
For an expat, a 2000€ monthly income would be enough to enjoy Istanbul in general. Renting a flat in safe districts like Beşiktaş and Şişli starts from 400€ (4,000 TL). You can also spend the same amount on food and transportation.
Heating costs would be around 100€ (1000 TL) in winter.
Istanbul is becoming more and more popular with expat retirees. It’s not surprising: the city has all the amenities one needs to maintain active life in retirement, and healthcare facilities are good and easily accessible.
İstanbul has lots of opportunities for foreign retirees. There are senior residences and retirement homes with all-inclusive packages that start from 600€/6000TL a month.
The cost of living in Turkey is significantly lower compared to other popular retirement destinations. Hence the costs of services for pensioners are much more affordable while the quality of the services offered to retirees is high.
The costs of senior residences in Istanbul vary between €400 and €700 per month, an average of €600 per month can be expected.
You will find new friendships, nice weather, delicious Turkish cuisine, sightseeing tours and other organised activities. Plus, housekeeping is provided if you wish to avoid house chores.
One of the well-known retirees’ establishments is Çetin Life Club . The club offers retirees affordable rooms in houses with shared living areas. Cetin Life Club also helps expats to find all-inclusive flats in Istanbul.
Like any other location, Istanbul comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s speak of the positives first.
İstanbul is full of activities and events 24/7. Concerts, conventions, parties, exhibitions, and sports events are held in Istanbul much more often and on a bigger scale than in other cities in Turkey.
Life doesn’t end at 5 p.m. or on Sundays like in some western cities. Even in outer suburbs, shops, stores, shopping malls, and grocery stores are open until 10 p.m.
Public transport in Istanbul is mostly safe and works quite well. A public transport card called Istanbulkart will allow you to use all public transport available in the city: boats, subways, buses, tramways, and funiculars.
You can buy the card from Biletmatik ticket machines near metro stations, piers, and bus stations.
You can top-up your Istanbulkart whenever you need to using Biletmatic machines.
The city is surrounded by the Marmara and Black seas. You can find some really great sandy and pebble beaches in the islands near Istanbul.
There are reasonable transport links from the city to help you escape to the coast on a hot summer’s day.
You can take advantage of the free beaches like Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kınalıada.
If you prefer better-serviced beaches and don’t mind paying an entrance fee, there are many private beaches on the islands for you to enjoy.
Do you need to travel frequently? It’s hard to find a more convenient place than Istanbul then. The city has great travel connections with the rest of the world. It is really easy to fly anywhere (Europe, Asia, Africa, America) from Istanbul.
The private healthcare sector is outstanding in Istanbul. It is also cheaper than in many European countries and definitely much cheaper than in the USA. You will find the cost of private healthcare insurance in Turkey quite affordable.
The state-funded healthcare system is not as impressive as the private sector. However, it’s been invested in and improved to a reasonable level. It’s worth knowing that after a year of living in Turkey, you can choose to join the public healthcare system if you wish to.
Many expats choose to have an international cover. International health insurance can be quite expensive. To make sure you get the best value for money, compare international health insurance options from various providers to find the best deal.
Traffic does make life difficult for people living in Istanbul. Like many other capitals, Istanbul is overcrowded and traffic is always a problem.
Going towards the coast on a weekend can become a mission impossible. It’s common to spend 2 hours in the traffic while travelling to a destination 30 minutes away.
Heavy traffic also means finding a parking space is a problem, especially in tourist-heavy places like Eminönü, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy or Taksim.
Istanbul residents’ driving style is not for the faint-hearted! Pedestrians should also be very careful. Most drivers won’t give way to pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing. Turning left/right at a red light is also common.
If you are planning to buy a property in Turkey and your chosen location is Istanbul, be prepared to pay more than anywhere else in the country. The average house price in Istanbul is around €650 per square metre compared to the nationwide average of €390 per sq. metre.
Like in other popular tourist cities, there’re all kinds of people that you could possibly see from all over the world in Istanbul.
If you take sensible precautions, it’s easy to keep safe in Istanbul. Go with the crowd and be careful at night. Avoid isolated or poorly lit areas especially the backstreets of Taksim , Karaköy and Şişli .
It is recommended that you should avoid Dolapdere, Tarlabaşı, Gaziosmanpaşa, Kasımpaşa, Kuştepe, Laleli/Aksaray as they are not safe for female foreigners especially if you are on your own.
Also be careful in Sultanbeyli, Esenyurt districts on the European side and Gülsuyu on the Asian side of Istanbul.
And please, don’t get too vocal about the inner affairs of Turkey as everybody is just very tense about it.
If you work in Istanbul it’s crucial to find a home near your workplace. This way you can avoid traffic and this gains you lots of time on weekdays.
On the European side, the best areas are Bahçeşehir, Beylikdüzü, Küçükçekmece . They are quite affordable and safe. If you don’t have a car, it won’t be a problem as public transport is efficient and easy to use.
If you don’t mind living in popular tourist districts then there are Nişantaşı, Ortaköy and Etiler . These areas have high renting costs but you will rub shoulders with İstanbul’s elite social groups who love these prominent locations.
On the Asian side, Sancaktepe, Kirazlıtepe, Kadıköy are quite affordable.
If you prefer more fashionable places consider Fenerbahçe, Suadiye or Beykoz . All of these districts are great for families, young professionals and retirees.
If you think of living in Istanbul as a foreigner, you will never get bored. Every day is a new day. Living here comes with a low cost of living, cheaper healthcare, good nightlife, cultural diversity, and delicious cuisine.
You will experience the four seasons just like they are meant to be: a hot summer, a cold winter, chilly autumn and a warm spring.
“Istanbul is a magical seal which unites Europe and Asia since the ancient times. Without a doubt, Istanbul is certainly the most beautiful place of the world.”
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“location close to the ferry and to a lot of shops and restaurants”
“Friendly staff that helped us out with everything we needed and asked. It's a great location, close to Kadiköy best places to eat and visit.”
“This is a very nice hotel with excellent location. Staff were very friendly, unfortunately we stayed only 1 night and had to leave early before breakfast but they provided some sandwich and drinks for...”
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“It is the best hotel. Very clean, with a lot of personality, not inanimate like other hotels. The room was big, and felt like home. The staff is very friendly, helpful and professional.”
“a small nice hotel that is quite close to bus and ferry stations. Close to bars and nice parks. It was clean and modern with a nice breakfast.”
“Location was great. Walking distance to nearby Metro station and Kadikoy Ferry.
Room was very new, very clean and excellent.
Washroom was new and very clean.
Good breakfast too. The service was great....”
“The location is excellent! so near the ferry/bus station; about 5mins walk.
Rooms are super clean.
Staffs are attentive.
Wonderful breakfast that we enjoyed!
Many restaurants nearby the hotel!”
“Lovely little hotel in a renovated old house. The room and all other areas were spotlessly clean and the beds were very comfortable. The breakfast room is charming (and the breakfast was good too!).”
“Breakfast is very good, not extra ordenery, but it has sufficient nice food.
Location is close to the bus and ferry.”
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