Is Turkey Cheap to Travel? A Comprehensive Breakdown of Your Budget

Though it’s rarely mentioned when people talk about their favorite spots in Europe or Asia, I believe it has a lot to offer travelers.

Istanbul is a wonderful city with lots of mosques lining the skyline, a fantastic food scene, and a wealth of historical sites to discover. I’ve never seen any more impressive ruins than those at Ephesus, and touring the Troy site was amazing. I even spent ten days cruising the Turkish coast on a yacht rental, and I saw some of the most beautiful and pristine parts of the country.

Turkey offers breathtaking scenery as well, whether you decide to take a dawn hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia or splash around in the bizarre salt pools of Pamukkale. In addition, you can meet friendly locals, indulge in delicious food (I especially love Turkish breakfasts), and take in breathtaking scenery.

I had the good fortune to spend six weeks touring the country, seeing a staggering amount of the country.

Before traveling by land to Fethiye, I spent two weeks exploring the different neighborhoods of Istanbul, with stops along the way at Troy, Cannakale, Ephesus, and Pamukkale. During my eleven-day yacht voyage around the southwest coast of the nation, I stopped at locations from Fethiye such as Göcek, Gökkaya, Kekova Roads, Kalkan, Karakaören, Kaş, Kayaköy, and Uçagiz.

To conclude my time in the country, I then spent a week in the little village of Kadikalesi, which is close to Bodrum. On my return visit, I crossed off my biggest oversight from the first trip: Cappadocia.

I have been documenting every single penny I spend in the countries I visit since the beginning of my travels to try and show how feasible and inexpensive global travel can be. I want to be able to give you a precise and reasonable estimate of how much you should plan to spend at each location you visit.

For further information on how much to budget for a trip to Turkey in 2024, continue reading. Before we begin, I just wanted to let you know that because of the high rate of inflation, everything priced in lira (the local currency) increases all the time. However, the price in USD or euros will essentially stay the same because the exchange rate to other currencies increases along with it. For this reason, all of the prices listed below are in US dollars, even though you’ll probably see advertisements in lira when you visit.

How to Save Money on Accommodation in Turkey

Given that many of my readers are frequent backpackers, I’d like to start this section by quickly going over a few of the affordable housing options that are out there.

Couchsurfing is a great way to save money while taking a deep-dive into life in Turkey. You’ll stay with a local for free, sleeping on their couch, and learning about their day-to-day life in the country. It’s not the most comfortable of travel experiences, of course, but you’ll learn more about what it’s like to be Turkish than you would by staying in a hostel or hotel. You can browse a list of Turkish Couchsurfing hosts on the Couchsurfing site.

It’s also a good idea to take a look at housesitting. Essentially, housesitting involves taking care of someone’s house and pets while they’re away, in exchange for free accommodation. This option works best for frequent travelers or retirees who have the freedom to go and stay wherever they please, as your options are obviously more limited in terms of dates and destinations.

If that’s not a problem for you, housesitting is an excellent way to reduce travel costs, stay in beautiful homes, care for cute animals, and experience living like a local. For those interested in getting started with housesitting, Trusted Housesitters is the best site, as it has the highest number of listings by far.

And finally, if you’re travelling long-term and don’t mind getting your fingers dirty, you could look at WWOOFing or WorkAway as a way to cut down your costs while working on a farm in exchange for accommodation and food. It’s not the most glamorous of experiences, but getting to live for free in a foreign country is incredible, so if you’re backpacking around Europe, this may be the way forward for you.

But I have a feeling most of you aren’t interested in the free accommodations; instead, you just want a clean, safe, and affordable place to sleep every night. If that’s the case, there are several options available for you.

The first of these is hostels. Hostels can be found throughout Turkey, from large cities to tiny towns to secret beachside retreats. They’re one of your best options for saving money, and aren’t just for the backpackers.

Hostels in Turkey are considerably less expensive than similar options in Western Europe, though still not outrageous, with the notable exception of Istanbul in the summer. You can expect to spend around $18-25 for a dorm bed in most spots in Turkey, including Istanbul.

If you travel in a group or with a significant other, you might discover that the cost of a private room at a hostel, which offers some privacy, is comparable to settling for two beds in a dorm room. Hostels usually charge between $50 and $75 per night for private rooms that are basic, clean, and in a good location.

If you’re put off by the thought of nights spent in hostels, you shouldn’t be! Private rooms are usually quiet and clean, and most hostels are modern, safe, and centrally located. They tend to have a little more personality than generic hotels, and the staff are fantastic at offering travel advice. As long as you check the reviews of any hostel before booking it to make sure nobody refers to it as a party hostel, you’re all good to make a booking there. I use HostelWorld to find the cheapest hostels.

And, of course, there are always hotels, which usually start at around $75-100 a night for a good midrange option and go up from there. You’ll have slightly more luxury and comfort in hotels, so it’s up to you to work out whether this is worth the additional expense. I always use Booking to find guesthouses and hotels when I travel.

How to Save Money on Food in Turkey

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to travel throughout Turkey without breaking the bank on food and drink, and the cuisine is not only delicious but also incredibly cheap! Let’s start with those options first.

If you’re on a tight budget, cooking instead of going out will probably save you money, so if you’re willing to give up on some meals, this is a great way to keep your spending in check. Hostels usually have a shared kitchen, and if you book through Airbnb, the hosts usually let you use the kitchen. If so, visiting a local market to restock on ingredients is a great way to get a taste of the way of life there.

In that case, which is common with hostels and hotels where breakfast is included in the room rate, I always suggest eating later in the morning and in excess because you might be too full for lunch. But as I’ve already stated several times in this post, Turkish breakfasts are fantastic! If at all possible, I strongly advise eating breakfast outside of your accommodation.

The real budget-buster when it comes to food and drink in Turkey is, relatively-speaking, alcohol. Due to high taxes, Turkish consumers pay more than twice as much for alcohol as those living in the EU. Not only that, but the local beer, Efes, is, um, kind of terrible.

Although I generally advise against drinking while in Turkey, if you do decide to do so, budget more than you would in neighboring countries. A draft beer in a busy bar could run you $6 or $7, which isn’t too bad, but it could cost more than you’re spending on food!

Unfortunately, the tap water in Turkey isn’t safe to drink, so I’d recommend investing in a GRAYL water purifier to ensure every drop of water you drink is safe and clean — I used mine to drink the tap water in Turkey, but also in places like Mozambique and the Congo and didn’t once get sick! Not only will you keep yourself safe, but you’ll also cut down on your plastic consumption through not buying water bottles, and will save money in the long-term.

The best regional foods in Turkey are listed here, along with an idea of how much they typically cost.

When it comes to breakfasts, the options in Turkey are going to change. your. life. A traditional Turkish breakfast consists of fresh bread, olives, cured meats, tomatoes, spicy sausages, feta cheese, honey, and copious amounts of delicious tea. In Turkey, a great breakfast will cost you about $11–14, or $5–7 for a simpler, smaller meal.

Menemen is another delectable dish from Turkey that is best enjoyed with a slice of fresh, crusty bread. It is made with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices. You’ll pay $3-5 for it, depending on where you are and exactly what’s inside it.

Lunches are just as good, and you’ll spend a lot of time munching on pides and kebabs (lamb is a common meat substitute). For vegans or those who simply prefer not to eat meat, the majority of restaurants across the country will let you replace your meat dish with fresh salads and crusty bread. But let’s talk about pide, as that’s one of my favourite Turkish dishes.

It’s a type of Turkish pizza, but with the pizza-esque toppings served on flatbread. One of my favourite toppings is lamb, spinach, and local sheep’s cheese. You can expect to spend around $2-3 on pide and $4-6 on kebabs and kofte.

Dinners are — you guessed it! — always delicious. I recommend trying the balik ekmek, a sandwich made with grilled fish, onions, and tomatoes, if you intend to spend some time in Istanbul. It’s one of the most famous foods in the city. It’s one of the best cheap eats in the city and only $2. 50. You have to try this while you’re in town!.

If you’re at all familiar with Turkish food, you’ve probably come across a meze plate before. However, I have found that Turkish meze is simply the best anywhere in the world! From the amazing stuffed grape leaves to the smoky baba ganoush, creamy hummus, and eggplant salad, to tzatziki, and heaven knows what else, each plate is slightly different but equally delicious! Typically served as an appetizer, each dish is usually priced between $5 and $7 per person.

It’s hardly surprising that you can’t get enough of the local seafood—it’s amazing, and there are a ton of dishes to try that incorporate it. Karides Guvec, a delicious shrimp casserole baked in a clay pot with garlic, bell peppers, red pepper flakes, and a rich tomato-based sauce, is what I suggest. To be honest, if I had eaten this dish every day while in Turkey, I never would have gotten tired of it. It’s usually about $8-10.

If you’re after something even more substantial, look no further than hunkar begendi, which translates as “Sultan’s Delight”. It’s a robust stew composed of tomatoes, onions, slow-cooked lamb or beef, and a variety of fragrant spices that are often added only by the chef. The creamy eggplant puree, which adds a velvety texture and rich flavor, is what really sets this dish apart. Be sure to try it out, especially if you’re in Turkey at a cooler time of year. It’s typically around $7-9.

You should definitely try Turkish delights and baklava ($3-6 per kg), which are far better than anything you’ve probably ever had at home and are available throughout the country. I recommend getting some from the Istanbul Spice Bazaar and selecting the pomegranate flavor for a fun twist on the treat. You’ll be looking at around $12 for 1kg of extremely high-end Turkish delights.

Additionally, you can always ask around for recommendations on where to eat. You can do this by asking at your accommodation where the best deals on meals are, or you can simply go for a walk and see which restaurants the locals frequent.

HOW TO TRAVEL ISTANBUL (on a BUDGET)

FAQ

How much does a Turkey trip cost?

Is it still cheap to go to Turkey?

Is Turkey cheap for foreigners?

Why is Turkey so cheap for holidays?

When is the cheapest time to fly to Turkey?

As with almost every country on the planet, you’ll find it cheapest to fly to Turkey outside of high season, which coincides with the European summer vacation dates (June to August). In Turkey, May and September are categorised as the shoulder season, with October to March marking the low season, where you’ll find the cheapest prices.

What is the cheapest way to travel in Turkey?

The cheapest ticket costs 75 Turkish Lira ($9 US). That means that it doesn’t take much longer than the flight and costs about half the price. Buses are a very common way to move around the country. They tend to be the cheapest option but take the longest. Tickets are most easily purchased in-person shortly before traveling.

Is Turkey cheap?

No, Turkey is cheap, especially if you opt for budget accommodation and dine at local restaurants. However, it’s not as cheap as it used to be because of the declining currency rate. How much is a Coke in Turkey? Coca Cola costs on average around $0.50 USD. How much is a beer in Turkey?

Is Turkey a cheap place to visit?

The simple answer is no, Turkey is a cheap place to visit when compared to other European countries, but it’s getting more expensive. In recent years, we have found that more hotels, restaurants and tour companies have increased their prices to accommodate for the declining value of the Turkish Lira.