Please sign in to post.

How much should I budget for a trip to Turkey?

Posted by on

I’m planning a trip to Turkey and trying to calculate a realistic budget for Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya.

Accommodation and attraction prices appear to vary considerably by destination and season. Istanbul seems more expensive, while food and local transport may still be affordable if you avoid the most tourist-focused areas.

For anyone who has travelled to Turkey recently:

• What was your average daily spending?
• How much did you pay for accommodation and meals?
• Is public transport easy and affordable?
• Which attractions or tours were worth the cost?
• Did you encounter any unexpected expenses?

Recent budgeting tips would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by
4351 posts

Welcome to the forum, saima. It really depends on your travel style - you can spend a lot or a little on all of those things, there are options for every price range. Inflation is definitely an issue in Turkey so prices I experienced three years ago are not a helpful guide.

Posted by
1269 posts

I am planning a trip to Istanbul and Ephesus for sometime in 2027. In addition to this board I have found reading the reviews for Turkey to be helpful https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/turkey-reviews. I also look at Rick's tours to get and ideas of what he is offering and how much a week with Rick would cost. I look at other local tours (e.g. Getyourguide) to see where they go and what they charge. Ditto for the Istanbul Card, etc., here do they go, what do I get?

Posted by
1411 posts

"Ditto for the Istanbul Card, etc., here do they go, what do I get?'

You can buy one from any vending machine in train stations.

Back to the OP's question, just talking about Istanbul, earlier this year I was spending about ₺150 on a balik dürüm from one of the vendors by the golden horn (Karaköy side). But you can easily spend 10 times or more than that in a tourist restaurant in Sultanahmet. Or less in a less touristy area. I dont drink, but I gather alcohol is expensive.

Public transport in Istanbul is excellent, and it's cheap (cheaper if you use the Istanbulkart rather than your credit card).

Inflation is at 31.5%, so it's a but hard to plan ahead with accuracy.

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.