Accommodation Prices in Istanbul 

There is an excellent variety of accommodation alternatives for accommodation in Istanbul. There are five-star hotels, boutique hotels, hostels, and apartments suitable for all budgets in Istanbul. The first thing we suggest you consider when choosing accommodation is, choosing a neighborhood that aligns with your purpose of visit. And for that, you need to know about Istanbul districts that you may want to visit. In other words: If you're going to be close to the city's sparkling shopping spots and entertainment venues, you can stay at hotels located in Taksim and Beşiktas. 

If you want to see the city's historical texture with your own eyes, you can stay at hotels located in Sultanahmet, Galata, and Karaköy. If you want a quiet and lively place, you can prefer to stay in Kadıköy. If you're going to enjoy the sea view from the balcony of your room, you can choose Adalar. Because the transit line is very widespread in Istanbul, you will not have any problems reaching public transportation no matter where you stay. But there are some important things you should know about Istanbul accommodation. 

Current accommodation prices in Istanbul

For five-star hotels, an adult night stay costs between 290-11200 Turkish Lira (500 euros on average). In hotels with lower stars, an adult night stay costs between 180-1900 Turkish Lira (90 euros on average). In hostels, an adult night stay costs between 130-590 Turkish Lira (30 euros on average). One night of rent for apartments costs between 960-99 000 Turkish Lira (55 euros on average).

Transportation Prices for your Budget Plan

There are many means of transportation and different options for getting from one place to another in Istanbul. We should note that this city is really budget-friendly in terms of transportation. For example, you can use the bus, Metrobus, Marmaray, metro, ferry, minibus, taxi, taxi minibus (Sarı dolmuş), tram, and Uber for traveling the inner city and intercontinental (from the Anatolian side to the Europe side or vice versa). You can use a single transportation Card, Istanbul Card, to use buses, Marmaray, metro, tram, Metrobus, and ferry. 

There are essential things you need to know about Istanbul Card. You can get the Istanbul Card from offices or ticket machines (Biletmatik) throughout Istanbul. You can top up your card from the mobile application, website, and ticket offices. The Istanbul Card fee is 13 Turkish Lira (1.15 euros). The adult tariff for the Istanbul kart is 4.03 Turkish Lira (0.36 euro). Istanbul Card is a budget-friendly option if you are tight on money or don't want to spend too much on transportation.

Adult fare you need to pay using Marmaray is calculated according to the number of stops between the stations you are traveling to. The adult tariff is 4.03 Turkish Lira (0.36 euro) for 1-7 stops and 8.91 Turkish Lira (0.79 euro) for 36-43 stops. If you have traveled less or more than the specified number of stops (e.g., five stops), you can refund the fee charged at the vending machines at the stations.

In Istanbul, the initial fee of taxis is 5.55 Turkish Lira (0.49 euro), and 3.45 Turkish Lira (0.30 euro) is charged per kilometer. You can use mobile applications to call for a taxi or call a cab stand nearby your location from GOOGLE maps in Istanbul. You can also use uber in Istanbul. 

The initial price set for Uber in Istanbul is 4 Turkish Lira (0,35 euro). It costs about 0,40 Turkish Lira per minute. The cost per kilometer is 2.5 Turkish Lira (0,22 euro). For this reason, Uber prices vary depending on the route. In addition, Uber has congestion charging that can increase by 2 to 3 times. These are all things you need to know about Istanbul transportation and your budget for transportation. As we said, transportation in Istanbul is budget-friendly!

Food and drink prices in Istanbul

One of the fascinating things about Istanbul is that there is a wide range of restaurants in Istanbul, including luxury restaurants, street food buses, and international, local, and authentic Ottoman cuisine restaurants. You can dine in every restaurant suitable to your taste buds and budget, whether in luxury restaurants with views of the Bosphorus or small, warm, and cozy average restaurants.

  • Prices in Istanbul restaurants vary between 25-300 Turkish Lira (15 euro on average).
  • The average menu price in a fast-food restaurant is 30 Turkish Lira (2.60 euro on average) 

Offices and Banks Where You Can Exchange Currency

You can exchange currency from exchange offices located at airports in Istanbul and tourist districts such as Taksim, Sultanahmet, Grand Bazaar, Sirkeci, and banks such as TEB and QNB Finansbank.

Because the exchange rate is constantly changing, the data you get from the Internet and those in the exchange offices may not coincide. So, you should know that sometimes the prices you obtain from the Internet and the exchange offices can be slightly different. Instead, our advice is that when you go to the exchange office, you should know in advance that there may be a slight difference between the figure you see on the Internet.

It is best that you check it yourself just before your budget planning. If you prefer to use your own currency (euro/dollar) during your visit to Istanbul, some restaurants, shops, and hotels will help you with this. However, to have a comfortable trip, we recommend you exchange your currency to the Tl, the official currency of Turkey, from a confidential office or bank.

Frequently Asked Question

How much should I budget a trip to Istanbul?
-The cost of a 7-day trip to Istanbul for one person is $1,123, $2,017 for a couple, and $3,781 for a family of four. It costs between $36 and $122 per night to stay in one of the hotels in Istanbul. Most vacation rentals cost between $130 and $380 per night for the whole house.
How much pocket money do you need in Istanbul?
-Plan to spend about TRY805 ($54) a day on your vacation in Istanbul. That's how much other tourists spend each day, based on their costs.
How much money do I need for a month in Istanbul?
-For a family of four, the estimated cost of living without rent is 1,506$ (22,297TL). It costs 430$ a month to live alone, even if you don't live in a house.
How much spending money will I need for a week in Istanbul?
-In general, the cost of living in Istanbul for a couple for a week is 300$, and the cost of food and transportation is around 100$ for a week. In this case, you can go to Istanbul for a week with two people and spend 650$.