carrefour is a french supermarket chain that provides same goods for the highiest possible price in turkey and this one is in the middle of Istanbul which is one thing, the other thing is showing price of avokado and banana along with imported cheese isnt really any accurate way to show any price. In dollar terms no price has changed since last 10 years before and after hyper inflation. In turkish lira terms everything got 10 times more expensive but wages grew aswell, although less. Overall 2 effects hyper inflation had, firstly people who had savings in local currency had their wealth vanish, secondly working people had to downgrade the quality of their food
@@erencanayhan8514 Well said! Bananas are one of the most expensive fruit because of important from Latin America. Fresh Figs in Australia each $5, in Turkiye a kilo $2
@@erencanayhan8514 Thanks! I had no idea Carrefour was in Turkey. Makes sense their products, particularly the imported ones, would be so expensive. When I went to Istanbul in 2021 prices in "local' supermarkets (not carrefour) were much cheaper than in France.
Actualy salaries increased above exchange rate in last 3-4 years for example a salary of a teacher was 700€ in 2020 now it will became 2000€ in the summer and istanbul is the most expensive city in türkiye in the other cities prieces are %10-%20 precent lower
Actual supermarkets are pretty cheap compare to Europe because it's an agricultural society and he went to the most expensive supermarket.. there are local markets where you can buy half price of everything so there is alternative to everything
Inflation at that level will drastically erode the purchasing power of the Turkish lira. People with investments in Turkey will see their returns diminish unless they are in assets that can outpace inflation, like real estate or certain commodities.
I agree. In times of high inflation, traditional investments like savings accounts and fixed-income securities will lose value in real terms. It's crucial to look for inflation-hedged assets or diversify into stronger currencies and economies to protect your portfolio.
High inflation can also lead to increased interest rates as the central bank tries to control it. This could make borrowing more expensive, impacting businesses and leading to slower economic growth. It’s a tough situation for investors.
That’s a good point. Plus, the US economy's performance is key here. If the US dollar strengthens, it could further weaken the lira, making imports even more expensive and pushing inflation higher
The problem is that you don't have the knowledge needed to succeed in a challenging market. Only highly qualified professionals who had to experience the 2008 financial crisis could help to earn a high in these challenging conditions.
Thats true, My friend, who’s an investment advisor, always emphasizes the importance of having a robust plan. He says that in such volatile environments, it’s crucial to stay informed and adapt your strategy accordingly. Maybe it’s time to consult a professional.
Just returned from two weeks in Istanbul. We spent just one day in the Sultanahmet area (Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, etc) purely to get it out of the way. It's hideously touristy and overpriced. As one Istanbul-based friend told me - spend your time on the Asian side. It's cheaper and more fun. And he was right.
That is the minimum wage, the average is around 850 dollars a month and this is fine if two people are working in the house. You can not judge the overall prices by looking at the tourist prices, there are a lot of low-cost options when you live in residential areas.
@@alihanhaydar8369 It's all because of the artificial exchange rate of the dollar, which is artificially kept low by the central bank through massive dollar sales. The true exchange rate, without these massive interventions, would easily be around 55-60 and not 32... Then the minimum wage would also be where it has been for the last years and decades... Almost every educated Turk knows this, it can't go on like this for much longer..."
In İstanbul atm June 19 2024 we went to Dubb a Turkish resturant about 10 minutes from blue Mosque. We had 3 main courses, adana meal and so on, one beer 225 lira, 1 small bottle of average wine 375mills mind you and 850 lira 1 bottle of water 115 lira. The dinner cost us 4988 Lira with 453 lira being a tax... We have just been to Spain France Italy Croatia Greece and the UK all cheaper and better quality than Turkey even the UK which has value if youlo9k for it.
Ah you see thats what we call a tourist trap and even tough they are expensive almost every time they make the worst kebabs if you want cheap and good food ask for a local persons advice or change the district because fatih,taksim district is like 10/9 restaurants are tourist trap I would advise you eat at districts like kadıkoy and mecidiyekoy its like near 0 chance you will find tourist trap restaurants because these districts known as student districts which makes these places expectionally cheaper also alcohol is always expensive unless you buy from stores because of tax rates which is 70%
@@teomancakar3831 Won't be going back, took the ferry to Kadikoy only slightly cheaper and only in some restaurants So many other places through Europe We would rather go, I now understand why so many Turkish people live outside of Turkey.
@@Largeportion1000 Supply and demand dude. It is a huge city with A LOT of wealthy residents, as well as being the most visited city in the world in 2023. Not everyone in Istanbul is suffering you know, cafes and restaurants are full of locals and tourists all the time. There is a lot of money in this city.
@@timlaw406 A lot, so lets say 40, 50 % of the population are wealthy, go away ! The restaurants are empty or partially empty other than small local only restaurants I just spent 3 weeks in Turkey 8 days in Istanbul. Wealthy Turks live in Europe, US and Australia. The Lira is worth Nothing and its get worse a millionaire in turkey is a poor man in Europe, its just that simple.
@@Largeportion1000 Hundreds of cafes and restaurants in different areas are right in front of me every day and they are packed or at least half-full. It is a city of 20 million people unofficially with expats and refugees, not 15, and even if 20% had money + so many tourists, voila! The rich got richer in this economic crisis, while the poor got poorer. You are having lunch right in the heart of Old Town and complaining. Do you really think they cost anywhere near that in Uskudar, the side streets of Beyoglu, Sariyer, Besiktas, or Kadikoy? I am often in Kadikoy and there are still many cheap eating options.
Thanks for telling the truths. We are really affected by the high inflation and cost of living as locals. Nobody is happy cause economy really affects our day to day life, relations and everything you can imagine. Even crime rate is getting higher due to bad situation
@@narniadan who the hell are you to tell me what to do? i can live anywhere I WANT to live. it’s my country and nobody can tell me to leave. I want the best for my land!
@@dilaralove6084 "" no body is happy "" You are not happy. It is your problem. If you''re not happy in Turkiye go to a happy country the USA - sleeping on pavements would make you happy.
It's been like this in UK, although apparently inflation has come down to 2% , but still waiting for it to feed down into the system so ordinary punters can feel the benefits. Inflation may have come down, but the prices seem to be broadly remain the same!
Turkey has no way to stop the inflation. It destroys the savings for the elderly. The young people will have continual increases but importers will have trouble. I noticed many turkish goods no longer come to Malaysia. thanks for the video.
Hi Jason: Very nice video explaining the costs in Istanbul right now. I have been to Turkiye twice- once in 2013 and last year. I had some TL 70 with me left over from the previous trip. Imagine my shock when i saw the price of a cup of coffee at Istanbul airport (300TL). My cash was of no use and I had to use my credit card to pay for breakfast. in spite of the uptick in prices, i would still visit Turkiye as there a lot more places I want to visit in that country.
We spent 5 days there and came back last week from Istanbul. We spent £1300 in total for 2 of us, this is flights, hotels which was near sultanahmet, few minutes away, activity, food, travel, gifts for family and also, tickets for ayasofia, which was 50 euro. Istanbul is a great place to visit, but its not cheap.
@@ccio. It was 4 nights stay, not inclusive as we booked seperately. The hotel did come with free breakfast. But it would have been less but we purchased luggage, seats on our flights and I believe £150 included gifts, baklava, sweets for the family so it would have been a bit more cheaper. I conside £1300 for 4 days for 2 people to not be cheap considering I saw a 7 days deal, all inclusive deal in Antalya for less than £1k in May.
Wow, thanks for the heads up. I can well believe what you say about it not being cheap. I am not really sure where is still cheap anymore. Many places and commodities have become a lot more expensive since Covid and the War in Ukraine.
@@ianjunitedk to be honest, regret not going last year as atleast the ayoaofia would have saved me £50, no longer free since Jan 2024 and it was slightly cheaper last year... But with inflation, everything has gone up. It also could have been cheaper but we brought gifts, brought plane seats and luggage. Plus our hotel hotel was literally 4 mins away from sultanahmet area so there was things we could have gone cheap on or do without. But I decided.. If we are spending all that money, might as well be in comfort. Though one great deal we did was the bosphorus tour at night, with free dinner, 3 hour entertainment, free pick up and drop off to our hotel, cost £50 as we haggled for the price. So yes, you can save money such as staying on the other side or kadikoy area... But one thing helped was, we made a plan, budget and also, travelled on train, very easy and cheap.
It's interesting to see my country from the perspective of a tourist. By the way you pronounce Ş as sh in English and S is the same as s in English. So you would say Simit sarayı with s not sh, and the last letter is ı which is different to i. It sounds like the sound you make when you're disgusted in English like euugh
My partner and I are coming to Istanbul from Australia on Monday for 5 days. He’s getting a hair transplant. I have 2 questions 1: do you have English breakfast tea? 2: would you recommend surgery there?
@@karinabourne3465 English breakfast tea isn't common in Istanbul so I'd suggest bringing your own if it's important. Surgery there is very good if you do it at the right place so make sure you do thorough research on different hospitals before making a decision as there are some bad places as well x
Well done Jason. My family is planning to visit Turkey for the first time. Your Turkey vlog is very useful especially prices of accommodation, transport and food.
Just in case you didn’t know: you can get all the way to Sivas by high speed train nowadays. In a comfortable way, you can get directly towards eastern of Turkiye. High speed trains also go to and from Karaman, Konya, Ankara, Eskişehir. Normal intercity trains also exist; you could take the eastern express towards Kars from Ankara, or a similar service from Ankara to Tatvan, Diyarbakir, Kayseri etc. More info is available on the website of the Turkish State Railways.
To anyone who got a heart attack hearing it, visiting the Blue Mosque does not in fact require you to pay any ticket. However, it is true that Hagia sophia now has an entrance fee of 25€ (as far as I know due to maintenance costs, something which is highly questionable given the little work that has been done on it this year or in the last decade foe that matter).
$40/night for that is really a good deal I would say given the location and that it isn't a monthly rental. However, places like Antalya are now getting inundated with expats and western retirees from UK and US and the costs have gone through the roof.
I got back from Istanbul yesterday and compared to 2 years ago I’m shocked at the prices but if you go to the right places then it can be cheap still. My hotel was next to taksim square and everything was expensive. Asian side still cheap.
@@sarawhite48 I was actually surprised how chilly it got at night. I didn’t take any jumpers etc. 3 days were warm enough for shorts etc but 1 day was wet and little cold. But night time was chilly. Locals were wearing jumpers everyday tho 😂
@@ianjunitedk totally agree. Honestly don’t know why people would visit where I was in taksim square. Just had normal shops and restaurants. Asian side was so much better and better value for money
I arrived home yesterday after 2 weeks in Turkiye and it was very, very expensive in my opinion. Coke zero's were 110 lira everywhere I went! The hot air balloons in Cappadocia cost between 220 and 300 euro each!
I am travelling solo to Istanbul from 8th to 14th of June. I believe your videos will help me a lot! BTW, anyone would like to have a travel bud? I know Turkish, so we won't face any issues I believe 👍🏻
We are in turkey these days I found hotels and food prices are crazy. So far I have visited Istanbul, cappadocia and antalya all super expensive. My advice for cappadocia we drove 20 minutes to a city and found good but cheap food as compared to our hotel.😊
I just returned from Istanbul and there's one major problem with this city. From October 2023 to May 2024 prices in turkish lira have DOUBLED so Istanbul from an affordable place suddenly moved to another league meant for cities like Berlin / Warsaw. For example: a breakfast for two people was 350 lira in October 2023 and now it's 700 lira in May 2024. They charge a whooping 320 lira for a glass of wine and 120 lira for extra butter in your breakfast menu. Call me crazy but these are prices from Amalfi coast.😮 Rising prices might be something acceptable IF the quality of food and services was high BUT that's not the case with Istanbul. For the asking price food quality is abysmal and service quality is mediocre at best. Also: the price disparity for main attractions between locals and tourists is absurd. For example Tokapi entrance fee is 250 lira for locals and 1500 lira for tourists (6x!!!). I get it you're a local paying taxes in Istambul you get the lower price but 1500 lira is a rip off and screams: exploitation. No thanks.
Don’t agree, we just returned as well and it’s totally worth it, it’s an amazing city. We were there two years ago and yes it’s a lot more expensive but still a special place. For sure, worth going to.
@@acooksla come on your a chef, the food is ordinary which is paralleled buy the service and let down by the over inflated prices, be honest. I am also semi retired and have been traveling the world since the mid 80's
I spent 5 days in Istanbul. Great place. In Oct that year, $1 gets you 9 TL> The prices have double in 3 years, for us tourist! It must be devastating or the average resident. It still is cheaper than any city in Western Europe, but the price of daily goods, such as cheese, or oilve oil(!) is astronomical.
I spend time equally in London and Turkey , mainly Kuşadası, Bodrum And İstanbul. Many restaurants and bars in Turkey are now significantly more expensive than London . 600 lira for burger and chips in Antalya , 300 for a beer. Turkey’s main source of income is tourism and tourists will not be visiting with these prices . In 25 years of visiting Turkey I have never seen so much poverty , the average Turk is no longer able to afford meat . Years and years of crazy economics are finally catching up with Turkey and I feel things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
O.K! Turk! 25 years. Why did you leave Turkiye 25 years ago if the economy ( and politics, democracy, freedom) was good! If you feel sorry for 13 million refugees why don't you collect money for them so maybe they could get out poverty quicker. Just like the world, Turkiye is struggling economically. And if you care that much about people, open your house so homeless in London would have a safe place to sleep.
@CC-uq7cv He migrated 25 years ago, and as many people he's been visiting place of birth. Poor people can be any ethnicity, but the majority of poor living in Turkiye are ' Syrian refugees.' Walk the streets, you might detect the difference between people born in Turkiye and Syrian refugees. They are poor. As I said, poor in any ethnicity, but majority are Syrian refugees.
Never been to Turkey before inflation but didn't find current prices in supermarkets like Migros shockingly high. Both the bread and olive oil is same price as in Czechia (I only checked major tourist location), many items were cheaper. Avocados were definitely not 24 liras per kg, but more like per pieces but even that is cheap.
@@leoprg5330 Well tbh I was told that Istanbul is always going to be that more pricey. I went to Antalya a year before and did notice the price rises there too but not as much.
@@Funnyoldworld-m5m Calling it a rip off makes it sound like Migros is trying to betray their customers when in reality they just have to adapt to the general inflation of the country.
Thank you for this very informative and timely video. It's very useful for planning my trip to Turkiye. I like the way you showed the exchange rate and then the prices of goods, transport, and food. That chicken kebab in the last segment looks so delicious! Its price was not bad for the size of the platter.
Nice video Jason! Thanks for the price updates. Like you said, devalued currency does not always mean cheap. Usually that occurs (cheaper price for a hard currency exchanger) early on in the cycle, before the inflation accelerates (if it does).
Love this video. I mean inflation is one of the most talked about topic throughout the world with many countries experiencing it right now. May be you can do a similar video everytime you visit a country. It would be very interesting to be able to compare when we are able to compare a country to another... Cheers and keep it up
Marmeris used to be cheap ,been going to Turkey for 40 years ,prices are going through the roof for food and drinks. Dentists optician's cigarettes are still very cheap,the price of hotels has shot up alot.
I am now in vacation in Istanbul in Taksim and the prices are the same as Germany where i live! It’s too expensive and would not come here until it becomes cheaper!!! I would rather go other places! For a five persons family at least you need 4500€ / 9 days (all expenses from flight and going back) if you want to buy cloths etc… and once a day in a restaurant and do sightseeing… i love Istanbul ❤ but its not affordable anymore… BR
Hey Jason thanks for a realistic perspective on current situation in turkey. Could you please recommend the best affordable restaurants or eateries? And evening hangouts (safest places) - perhaps a video? Thanks so much! Greetings from South Africa! 🎉😊
Hey, great video! I don’t have any plans right now to get to Istanbul, but it’s definitely one of those places. I really really want to check out. It’s nice to have a clue.
Looks like prices have shot up since I was there just last June! Thanks to the favourable exchange rate, I had a cheap but wonderful time staying in a beautiful Airbnb just round the corner from Taksim Square. It doesn't seem as though I would be able to repeat that experience quite so cheaply this year.
Nice presentation,good video !Those prices at Ehlikeyf Cafe ,Simit Sarayı seems very good for that touristy areas in Eminönü. Two months ago i was there behind of Spice Bazaar costed one espresso 100 TL, turkish coffee 80, one piece of cake 120 TL..Beer in a pub in Karaköy omg 200 TL ( 6 Euros- i did not order) Particularly In Grand Bazaar ( Kapalı Çarşı) the prices are totally crazy…More expensive than big europanien cities…Actually overall In Turkey now there is no more the sense of cost&value balance . You can pay anything anywhere,you have to be careful before you order.Ciao
As a foreigner visiting Turkey, it depends what time of the year and most probably the location. Lasf Feb-Mar this year, I was in Didim, dolmus is 15TL one way, I stayed in small but decent hotel in Altinkum for about $21 per day with free breakfast. Inside the room there is a small ref and a hot kettle which you can cook an egg and an instant noodle. There are McDonalds, BK, Starbucks, even Dominos Pizza. During Tourist month, hotel price can increase up to $60, but it includes breakfast, dinner and pool will be filled with water. Just be smart, go to Saturday Market, Bodrum turkish delights or Tugba for Souvenirs and be careful when buying carpets and turkish lights.
🙏Thank you. We are planning our Türkiye-Greece trip for 2025. This is such a useful deep dive into local prices. I understand completely that this will not be current in a year. But you’ve given us a heads up. We will look for a similar video in March-April 2025.
That massive plate of food was 200 lira which is about 9AUD. It would be triple that in Australia. Pasta and water was incredibly cheap in the supermarkets as well.
So true. I was there last month. Prices are really high, equivalent or even higher to a European capital. Food definitely wasn't what you see in TH-cam, you really have to do do some good research before you visit a restaurant otherwise you will be really disappointed..Still thought Istanbul and the surrounding areas that l visited was really nice.
Last time I was in Turkey was in 1993. I arrived in June 1991 for a US Air Force assignment. Exchange rate was 3000TL to 1 USD. So $100 US dollars got you 300000 Turkish Lira. When I left in 1993 it was 16000 to 1. Some things increased in price but several didn’t. An Efes beer was 800TL in 91. It was still 800TL in 93. That beer cost me about $0.35 US in 91 and about $0.02 in USD in 1993. Cheers
@@emregomecoglu how about none tourist shops and restaurants where he won't get ripped off? How about the decent malls or mimar cami? Everyone shows europe side us non turks in uk usa etc don't wanna see the usual sultanahmet, taksim etc. The food is bad there the place is full of tourists and its been shown many times on YT. We wanna see real Istanbul
ümraniye? lol. at least say bebek or may be levent where there are cool cafes, restaurants to sit. anything you will find in ümraniye, you will find better in üsküdar or beşiktaş.
We just came back from Istanbul last friday and although it was nice we found the prices sky rocket high... we had to pay between 80 and 100 euro for dining allot of the time, ones they charged us 21 euro for a glass of wine, that's outrageous if you ask me. And all the tickets like you said end up also because there are dozens of things to visit. We had the museum pass but with that pas you should be able to download an app with audio guide, but that one does not work and they do not give you an audio guide because you have to buy a paper ticket for that. We where blown away... and did not liked that. The bad thing is they charge holiday visitors 10 times more then they do locals, The price is already 25 to 30% higher then you now show in the video. For us way to expensive if you ask me if you take in mind that the supermarkt is verry cheap and sallary is also still low. Also transport is oke, per trip not 15 like you said but 17,7 now. Kebab is 300 to 450 almost every where, same for döner. We want go there any more and found that allot of people we spoken to said the same. Its not what it was before.
Beautiful video Jason with good information. Blue Mosque is free entry but rest of huge entry fee, been to Istanbul 4 times in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023. In 2017 the Galata tower fee was 25TL and Topkapi Palace around 40TL. In 2017 £1 I got 5TL, 2019 was 8TL, 2021 around 17TL and 2023 Oct was 38TL. Yes foods and transportation was expensive now. My favourite Mosque is Camlica Camii and 2nd is Blue and 3rd is Sulemaniya Mosque. Regards
Fucking hell, as a local even I didnt know that the prices have skyrocketed that much. I dont usually visit touristic sides of Istanbul but boy it is expensive af. Especially Simit Sarayı, a single piece of börek for 160???? that's a major ripoff dude stay away from there.
It seems that you don't leave your neighborhood !!!...Compared to other countries, Turkey still remains cheap. In other countries prices have been multiplied by 4, 5 and more.
@@anna-qs9ul As he's mentioned " Simit Sarayi " is a franchise, as with Mc.Donald's. Prices do not change whether in a touristy area or not. That Simit Sarayi was in a section where workers or local people go to have their lunch. You call a home cooked meal in AU7.90 expensive. The same meal would cost minimum $15 in Australia. Even you can't get a sandwich for $7.90 in a supermarket. People visiting Australia are complaining how expensive the prices are. Maybe, there is a pattern with some visitors.
@@narniadan i know what simit sarayı is jesus christ, when i said that 160 liras for a single portion of börek is insane i wasn’t claiming that he got ripped off or anything i was trying to draw attention to how weak the currency has gotten because i remember paying 40-50 liras at MOST for the same thing a year ago. i don’t understand how this could be a topic of discussion at all considering that turkey has an inflation rate of %70 (according to international data, i’d claim that it’s even more) you can’t compare it to a country like Australia where inflation stands at single digits. and the fact that it seems cheap to tourists just further proves my point.
@@anna-qs9ul If you know then your comment " tourists not for locals, 160 TL borek in Simit Sarayi is confusing because it sounds as the prices at that Simit Sarayi is a tourist trap. Single digits or double digits; a bottle of water $3 - 5 in a supermarket, sit down $7. One stop or withing one zone one way $4, ferry all day $50, Uber for couple of miles minimum $12, from airport to the city $70 It's not cheap according to people visiting Australia. And calm down.
If you are a manufacturing country, self sustainable and less dependent on the imports for basic goods and raw materials (oil, etc.) the fall of currency will not change much of the cost of goods. Like what happen here, regardless of the local currency value, the price of goods need constant revision as everything is tied to USD.
Istanbul was the most visited city in the world last year according to Euromonitor Global Index. One thing people keep forgetting is wages have also gone up in both Lira and Dollar Euro terms. Minimum and average wage are 60-70% more than 2 years ago in USD, EUR. Just that it is very expensive to rent or buy property and eating out is much more in dollars than the last few years.
@@Vatan1871 Cost of living went up by 60-70 percent in dollars too, just like wages (310USD minimum wage in 2022 to 530USD in 2024- do your math!). Lowest level public servant gets 1000USD a month. It would be crazy to claim purchasing power is good for Turks, but Turkey is expensive for foreigners too, no more of that "Ahh Turkey is dirt cheap" bullsh*t. Go change yr name first, before talking yr country down in front of foreigners.
Love Turkish food, doubt I will ever be able to visit, so thank you for this wonderful video. It certainly sounds quieter than Bangladesh or India or Pakistan! Great video!
Hi Jason! Great video! I wonder if the prices are even lower on the Asian side of Istanbul? And may I ask you where did you buy your black jacket, it's really nice? Keep on the good job!
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably price, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side. Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't there long time, but I remember people from other Balkans coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives because of the variety of the goods in the past. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to. Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Good luck!
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably priced, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side. Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been, is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't been there for a long time, but I remember people from other Balkan countries coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives in the past because of the variety of the goods in. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Galata area is where local go to - modern Galata pier is expensive, Galata Barlar sokağı where many reasonable priced pubs. Beyoğlu both local and tourist. Beşiktaş on European side is the students and football fans. Hence, you could find very cheap food and pubs. But if there's a football game, especially UEFA or European Cup, that area can get crazy and out of control.
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably priced, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side. Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been, is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't been there for a long time, but I remember people from other Balkan countries coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives in the past because of the variety of the goods in. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Galata area is where local go to - modern Galata pier is expensive, Galata Barlar sokağı where many reasonable priced pubs. Beyoğlu both local and tourist. Beşiktaş on European side is the students and football fans. Hence, you could find very cheap food and pubs. But if there's a football game, especially UEFA or European Cup, that area can get c.y and out of control.
Hey Jason. We just arrived to Istanbul today. Would be cool to meet up if you are still around. Last time I saw you on your flight back from Turkey on the plane (doubt you remember though as it was ages).
I'm Ozzie and just back from 3 weeks in Turkey. Restaurants in Turkey in my experience were approximately the same price as OZ and UK (ie expensive) with Turkish wine (surprisingly good) more expensive. Lovely people.
In my 2019 trip, a Durum Kebap was ₺12 (USD $2 in 2019) and today it is ₺180 (USD $5.60). Kunefe was ₺12 (USD $2 in 2019) and today it is ₺160 (USD $5) Entry fee to Hagia Sofiya was ₺60 (USD $10 in 2019) and today it is ₺850 (USD $27) A single journey on tram was ₺2.65 (USD $0.45 in 2019) and today it is ₺17.7 (USD $0.55) A meal for two in a good restaurant was ₺150 (USD $25 in 2019) and now it looks like ₺1200 (USD $37) This is insane!!!
If you going to compare what you could buy in Us dollars in 2019 and now. Do not forget even in the Us prices of 2019 and now its not the same actually its even worse. Check the price of 3 piece of Kfc in 2019 and now, or of a bugger in Mcdonalds
In Turkey right now, from Australia! More expensive than my relatives who went a year ago. We got a menu where the old prices are covered with a sticker. We lifted the sticker. In one increase, here are some examples in Australian Dollars: Garlic bread $1 now $8 Margarita drink $3 now $15 Soup $2 now $10 At the beach a man tried selling coconuts to drink $20 each. I bought a bottle of water and a small pack of biscuits $12. Entry to many ruins around $60. Unless we eat a kebab, dinners are around $50-$80 for two people. Excludes alcohol (don't drink much).
In 18.20 the ones that you have shown as milk are ayran, the yogurt drink😄😄 As you guys have noticed the public transportation prices in Istanbul is super low in comparison to everything. It is thanks to the mayor of Istanbul who supported people's right to travel as much as they like😊 Students can travel during the whole month almost limitlessly paying 5-6 pounds regardless of the means of transportation (etc bus, tube, ferry it doesn't matter).
Prices in tourist countries have seriously gone through the roof... Either western countries inflation is actually not bad in comparison, or tourist countries have caught on and are just ripping off westerners. I recently paid $16 for a cappucino, $40 for a burger, and like $120 for dinner in an average restaraunt, in countries where most people make $50 a day at most. Something is seriously wrong... I think too many westerners have been trying to chase a cheaper lifestyle overseas, and tourist countries have caught on to this and have raised their prices to be similar if not more than our western countries. Crazy
Well, the prices are the same for the locals and they are also high in non-touristic places as well (I am talking for Turkey) and I was also shocked to pay 10£s for a cappucino at a starbucks, and as you say the local everyday restaurants are also overpriced. In fact a couple of weeks ago local Turkish people boycotted the restaurants for the overpricin, and did not eat out for a weekend. If this trend continues no-one including the tourists won't be able to eat outside. But considering the fact that Turkey is 90 million and this overpricing is everywhere, it is more about the overall trend rather than ripping of the tourists, the prices are the same for everyone, actually hotels are more expensive for the Turks...
@fairysoul444 inflation is everywhere in Turkey not just tourist areas. It is affecting daily life for Turks and harming them more than western tourists.
I was in Istanbul a year ago and in a year the property rentals have almost doubled. I was shocked. I am wanting to go back to Turkey but it has gotten so expensive. Was cheap as chips when I visited. Food looks reasonable.
Wow! I was at the airport recently to change planes was shocked at the prices. - €20 for a sandwich Way more than Europe. Paid €5 for something silmilar in Malta I just thought it was an airport rip off but checking the price of a typical sight such as Topkai I see it comes out at a stonking £48/€57 with the harem access. Way more than say the Tower of London (£34) Crossing Turkey off my list til prices calm down
Does the council of Ontorio take 45journalist from different media companies, but all allies of the council which continually doing marketing of the opposition party ( CHP) in Canada, and the council book and pays for one of the most luxurious hotels in Rome - 50000 TL for a night , as well as having the most expensive of wines. Some journalists brought their partners also. As well as opposition party journalists, 30 people from council ( !!!!) Total 75 people to see the sign up for European Games. Their extra luxury stay , all paid by public money - I paid for those journalists' luxury.
It's not only Ontario, Australia, the UK, USA all feeling the heavy financial burden. Poor people not even able to afford rent. Consequently, the crime rate has increased. How I see the UK after 3 years living in China (I went home) on YT
Wow what happened to Turkey? Most are even more expensive than it is in Greece, few years ago Greek people always talked when visiting Turkey about how cheap it was!
Wow, the prices in the supermarket are almost the same as in France. Insanely high relative to Turkish wages. The locals must be going through a lot.
carrefour is a french supermarket chain that provides same goods for the highiest possible price in turkey and this one is in the middle of Istanbul which is one thing, the other thing is showing price of avokado and banana along with imported cheese isnt really any accurate way to show any price. In dollar terms no price has changed since last 10 years before and after hyper inflation. In turkish lira terms everything got 10 times more expensive but wages grew aswell, although less. Overall 2 effects hyper inflation had, firstly people who had savings in local currency had their wealth vanish, secondly working people had to downgrade the quality of their food
@@erencanayhan8514 Well said! Bananas are one of the most expensive fruit because of important from Latin America. Fresh Figs in Australia each $5, in Turkiye a kilo $2
@@erencanayhan8514 Thanks! I had no idea Carrefour was in Turkey. Makes sense their products, particularly the imported ones, would be so expensive. When I went to Istanbul in 2021 prices in "local' supermarkets (not carrefour) were much cheaper than in France.
Actualy salaries increased above exchange rate in last 3-4 years for example a salary of a teacher was 700€ in 2020 now it will became 2000€ in the summer and istanbul is the most expensive city in türkiye in the other cities prieces are %10-%20 precent lower
Actual supermarkets are pretty cheap compare to Europe because it's an agricultural society and he went to the most expensive supermarket.. there are local markets where you can buy half price of everything so there is alternative to everything
Inflation at that level will drastically erode the purchasing power of the Turkish lira. People with investments in Turkey will see their returns diminish unless they are in assets that can outpace inflation, like real estate or certain commodities.
I agree. In times of high inflation, traditional investments like savings accounts and fixed-income securities will lose value in real terms. It's crucial to look for inflation-hedged assets or diversify into stronger currencies and economies to protect your portfolio.
High inflation can also lead to increased interest rates as the central bank tries to control it. This could make borrowing more expensive, impacting businesses and leading to slower economic growth. It’s a tough situation for investors.
That’s a good point. Plus, the US economy's performance is key here. If the US dollar strengthens, it could further weaken the lira, making imports even more expensive and pushing inflation higher
The problem is that you don't have the knowledge needed to succeed in a challenging market. Only highly qualified professionals who had to experience the 2008 financial crisis could help to earn a high in these challenging conditions.
Thats true, My friend, who’s an investment advisor, always emphasizes the importance of having a robust plan. He says that in such volatile environments, it’s crucial to stay informed and adapt your strategy accordingly. Maybe it’s time to consult a professional.
Just returned from two weeks in Istanbul. We spent just one day in the Sultanahmet area (Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, etc) purely to get it out of the way. It's hideously touristy and overpriced. As one Istanbul-based friend told me - spend your time on the Asian side. It's cheaper and more fun. And he was right.
How much did the food cost in total?
Mods and Kadikoy
Uskudar is more authentic and still good value compared to sultanahmet
@@ElaineDean-jd5mv Moda. I lived there for 4 years
The key is locals earn $530 a month! $107 a week. Impossible to have a normal life with normal food...
Nope,This is the lowest salary.
@@alihanhaydar8369 I don’t know anyone in Istanbul who earns 530 USD a week!
regular people my brother gor car wah he made 500$ and more daily
@@alihanhaydar8369ülkenin yüzde kaçı asgari ücretle çalışıyor
That is the minimum wage, the average is around 850 dollars a month and this is fine if two people are working in the house. You can not judge the overall prices by looking at the tourist prices, there are a lot of low-cost options when you live in residential areas.
I'm astonished!! The cost of living in Birmingham(UK) is cheaper , and the average wage is 2k per month. Inflation has killed their economy
But salaries also raised with enflation.For example,a teacher salary was 600 or 700 euro two or three years ago.But now it is almost 2000
@@alihanhaydar8369Not true at all
@@alihanhaydar8369 Possibly for Turkish government teachers, but not for foreigners. Mr E doesn’t want any Western people working in Turkey.
@@alihanhaydar8369if salaries measured in euros have trebled in about 3 years then Turkey has had an economic miracle on steroids.
@@alihanhaydar8369
It's all because of the artificial exchange rate of the dollar, which is artificially kept low by the central bank through massive dollar sales.
The true exchange rate, without these massive interventions, would easily be around 55-60 and not 32...
Then the minimum wage would also be where it has been for the last years and decades...
Almost every educated Turk knows this, it can't go on like this for much longer..."
In İstanbul atm June 19 2024 we went to Dubb a Turkish resturant about 10 minutes from blue Mosque.
We had 3 main courses, adana meal and so on, one beer 225 lira, 1 small bottle of average wine 375mills mind you and 850 lira 1 bottle of water 115 lira.
The dinner cost us 4988 Lira with 453 lira being a tax...
We have just been to Spain France Italy Croatia Greece and the UK all cheaper and better quality than Turkey even the UK which has value if youlo9k for it.
Ah you see thats what we call a tourist trap and even tough they are expensive almost every time they make the worst kebabs if you want cheap and good food ask for a local persons advice or change the district because fatih,taksim district is like 10/9 restaurants are tourist trap I would advise you eat at districts like kadıkoy and mecidiyekoy its like near 0 chance you will find tourist trap restaurants because these districts known as student districts which makes these places expectionally cheaper also alcohol is always expensive unless you buy from stores because of tax rates which is 70%
@@teomancakar3831 Won't be going back, took the ferry to Kadikoy only slightly cheaper and only in some restaurants
So many other places through Europe We would rather go, I now understand why so many Turkish people live outside of Turkey.
@@Largeportion1000 Supply and demand dude. It is a huge city with A LOT of wealthy residents, as well as being the most visited city in the world in 2023. Not everyone in Istanbul is suffering you know, cafes and restaurants are full of locals and tourists all the time. There is a lot of money in this city.
@@timlaw406 A lot, so lets say 40, 50 % of the population are wealthy, go away !
The restaurants are empty or partially empty other than small local only restaurants I just spent 3 weeks in Turkey 8 days in Istanbul.
Wealthy Turks live in Europe, US and Australia.
The Lira is worth Nothing and its get worse a millionaire in turkey is a poor man in Europe, its just that simple.
@@Largeportion1000 Hundreds of cafes and restaurants in different areas are right in front of me every day and they are packed or at least half-full. It is a city of 20 million people unofficially with expats and refugees, not 15, and even if 20% had money + so many tourists, voila! The rich got richer in this economic crisis, while the poor got poorer. You are having lunch right in the heart of Old Town and complaining. Do you really think they cost anywhere near that in Uskudar, the side streets of Beyoglu, Sariyer, Besiktas, or Kadikoy? I am often in Kadikoy and there are still many cheap eating options.
Thanks for telling the truths. We are really affected by the high inflation and cost of living as locals. Nobody is happy cause economy really affects our day to day life, relations and everything you can imagine. Even crime rate is getting higher due to bad situation
Go to the USA then. A perfect place for you. Don't forget to bring a sleeping bag with you if you decide to live in California.
@@narniadan who the hell are you to tell me what to do? i can live anywhere I WANT to live. it’s my country and nobody can tell me to leave. I want the best for my land!
@@dilaralove6084 "" no body is happy "" You are not happy. It is your problem. If you''re not happy in Turkiye go to a happy country the USA - sleeping on pavements would make you happy.
@@narniadan lol sheeps don’t have opinions dear 🐑🐑🐑 your comments are all gibberish to me
It's been like this in UK, although apparently inflation has come down to 2% , but still waiting for it to feed down into the system so ordinary punters can feel the benefits. Inflation may have come down, but the prices seem to be broadly remain the same!
Turkey has no way to stop the inflation. It destroys the savings for the elderly. The young people will have continual increases but importers will have trouble. I noticed many turkish goods no longer come to Malaysia. thanks for the video.
Inflation has already started to go down as of last month and macroeconomic indicators are generally positive.
@@timlaw406actually? Is there hope?
Hi Jason: Very nice video explaining the costs in Istanbul right now. I have been to Turkiye twice- once in 2013 and last year. I had some TL 70 with me left over from the previous trip. Imagine my shock when i saw the price of a cup of coffee at Istanbul airport (300TL). My cash was of no use and I had to use my credit card to pay for breakfast. in spite of the uptick in prices, i would still visit Turkiye as there a lot more places I want to visit in that country.
We spent 5 days there and came back last week from Istanbul. We spent £1300 in total for 2 of us, this is flights, hotels which was near sultanahmet, few minutes away, activity, food, travel, gifts for family and also, tickets for ayasofia, which was 50 euro. Istanbul is a great place to visit, but its not cheap.
1300£ for 1 week 2 persons and "all incl." And you call it not cheap??
@@ccio. It was 4 nights stay, not inclusive as we booked seperately. The hotel did come with free breakfast. But it would have been less but we purchased luggage, seats on our flights and I believe £150 included gifts, baklava, sweets for the family so it would have been a bit more cheaper. I conside £1300 for 4 days for 2 people to not be cheap considering I saw a 7 days deal, all inclusive deal in Antalya for less than £1k in May.
Wow, thanks for the heads up. I can well believe what you say about it not being cheap. I am not really sure where is still cheap anymore. Many places and commodities have become a lot more expensive since Covid and the War in Ukraine.
@@ianjunitedk to be honest, regret not going last year as atleast the ayoaofia would have saved me £50, no longer free since Jan 2024 and it was slightly cheaper last year... But with inflation, everything has gone up. It also could have been cheaper but we brought gifts, brought plane seats and luggage. Plus our hotel hotel was literally 4 mins away from sultanahmet area so there was things we could have gone cheap on or do without. But I decided.. If we are spending all that money, might as well be in comfort. Though one great deal we did was the bosphorus tour at night, with free dinner, 3 hour entertainment, free pick up and drop off to our hotel, cost £50 as we haggled for the price. So yes, you can save money such as staying on the other side or kadikoy area... But one thing helped was, we made a plan, budget and also, travelled on train, very easy and cheap.
Ayasofya was free before as it is not a museum anymore. Is this for nonmuslims only?
It's interesting to see my country from the perspective of a tourist. By the way you pronounce Ş as sh in English and S is the same as s in English. So you would say Simit sarayı with s not sh, and the last letter is ı which is different to i. It sounds like the sound you make when you're disgusted in English like euugh
In in England they pronounce the S like sh
My partner and I are coming to Istanbul from Australia on Monday for 5 days. He’s getting a hair transplant. I have 2 questions 1: do you have English breakfast tea?
2: would you recommend surgery there?
@@karinabourne3465 English breakfast tea isn't common in Istanbul so I'd suggest bringing your own if it's important. Surgery there is very good if you do it at the right place so make sure you do thorough research on different hospitals before making a decision as there are some bad places as well x
Well done Jason. My family is planning to visit Turkey for the first time. Your Turkey vlog is very useful especially prices of accommodation, transport and food.
Just in case you didn’t know: you can get all the way to Sivas by high speed train nowadays. In a comfortable way, you can get directly towards eastern of Turkiye. High speed trains also go to and from Karaman, Konya, Ankara, Eskişehir.
Normal intercity trains also exist; you could take the eastern express towards Kars from Ankara, or a similar service from Ankara to Tatvan, Diyarbakir, Kayseri etc. More info is available on the website of the Turkish State Railways.
@@uzilai Why would tourists or foreigners want to go to Eastern Turkey? I was there in 2000, and it was the worst day of my life!
Nice ,happy to see that u r enjoying Ur visit.
Thanks Jason, your videos had helped me a lot to prepare my holiday on 16th June 2024 to istanbul.
I'm going tomorrow ❤
To anyone who got a heart attack hearing it, visiting the Blue Mosque does not in fact require you to pay any ticket. However, it is true that Hagia sophia now has an entrance fee of 25€ (as far as I know due to maintenance costs, something which is highly questionable given the little work that has been done on it this year or in the last decade foe that matter).
$40/night for that is really a good deal I would say given the location and that it isn't a monthly rental. However, places like Antalya are now getting inundated with expats and western retirees from UK and US and the costs have gone through the roof.
I got back from Istanbul yesterday and compared to 2 years ago I’m shocked at the prices but if you go to the right places then it can be cheap still. My hotel was next to taksim square and everything was expensive. Asian side still cheap.
Off topic but how was the weather? It seems like many people in this video are wearing long sleeves. Is it chilly? I leave in 2 days for Turkey.
If I visit, I'll got to the Asian side. The European side sounds like a total tourist trap
@@sarawhite48 I was actually surprised how chilly it got at night. I didn’t take any jumpers etc. 3 days were warm enough for shorts etc but 1 day was wet and little cold. But night time was chilly. Locals were wearing jumpers everyday tho 😂
@@ianjunitedk totally agree. Honestly don’t know why people would visit where I was in taksim square. Just had normal shops and restaurants. Asian side was so much better and better value for money
I arrived home yesterday after 2 weeks in Turkiye and it was very, very expensive in my opinion. Coke zero's were 110 lira everywhere I went! The hot air balloons in Cappadocia cost between 220 and 300 euro each!
I did hot air balloon in Cappadoccia in 2013 and I paid $200.
Likely the govt imposes tax on unhealthy items which people would buy even if the price goes up like coke, beer, cig???
I am travelling solo to Istanbul from 8th to 14th of June. I believe your videos will help me a lot! BTW, anyone would like to have a travel bud? I know Turkish, so we won't face any issues I believe 👍🏻
How was your trip? I'm going in about a week or so...
We are in turkey these days I found hotels and food prices are crazy. So far I have visited Istanbul, cappadocia and antalya all super expensive. My advice for cappadocia we drove 20 minutes to a city and found good but cheap food as compared to our hotel.😊
I just returned from Istanbul and there's one major problem with this city.
From October 2023 to May 2024 prices in turkish lira have DOUBLED so Istanbul from an affordable place suddenly moved to another league meant for cities like Berlin / Warsaw. For example: a breakfast for two people was 350 lira in October 2023 and now it's 700 lira in May 2024. They charge a whooping 320 lira for a glass of wine and 120 lira for extra butter in your breakfast menu. Call me crazy but these are prices from Amalfi coast.😮
Rising prices might be something acceptable IF the quality of food and services was high BUT that's not the case with Istanbul. For the asking price food quality is abysmal and service quality is mediocre at best.
Also: the price disparity for main attractions between locals and tourists is absurd. For example Tokapi entrance fee is 250 lira for locals and 1500 lira for tourists (6x!!!). I get it you're a local paying taxes in Istambul you get the lower price but 1500 lira is a rip off and screams: exploitation. No thanks.
3 for dinner, small bottle of wine 1 beer 1 water 4988 lira over 400 in tax, it's ridiculous
Don’t agree, we just returned as well and it’s totally worth it, it’s an amazing city. We were there two years ago and yes it’s a lot more expensive but still a special place. For sure, worth going to.
@@acooksla come on your a chef, the food is ordinary which is paralleled buy the service and let down by the over inflated prices, be honest.
I am also semi retired and have been traveling the world since the mid 80's
You must have been unlucky, Turkey is famous for delicious food and great service
@@JN-wr9he use to be
I spent 5 days in Istanbul. Great place. In Oct that year, $1 gets you 9 TL> The prices have double in 3 years, for us tourist! It must be devastating or the average resident. It still is cheaper than any city in Western Europe, but the price of daily goods, such as cheese, or oilve oil(!) is astronomical.
I spend time equally in London and Turkey , mainly Kuşadası, Bodrum And İstanbul. Many restaurants and bars in Turkey are now significantly more expensive than London . 600 lira for burger and chips in Antalya , 300 for a beer. Turkey’s main source of income is tourism and tourists will not be visiting with these prices . In 25 years of visiting Turkey I have never seen so much poverty , the average Turk is no longer able to afford meat . Years and years of crazy economics are finally catching up with Turkey and I feel things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
O.K! Turk! 25 years. Why did you leave Turkiye 25 years ago if the economy ( and politics, democracy, freedom) was good!
If you feel sorry for 13 million refugees why don't you collect money for them so maybe they could get out poverty quicker.
Just like the world, Turkiye is struggling economically. And if you care that much about people, open your house so homeless in London would have a safe place to sleep.
@@tesekkurreread what he said. He (or she) said he has been VISITING for 25 years.
@@tesekkurand Turks aren’t refugees… at no point did this individual mention the refugee situation
@CC-uq7cv He migrated 25 years ago, and as many people he's been visiting place of birth.
Poor people can be any ethnicity, but the majority of poor living in Turkiye are ' Syrian refugees.' Walk the streets, you might detect the difference between people born in Turkiye and Syrian refugees. They are poor. As I said, poor in any ethnicity, but majority are Syrian refugees.
@@tesekkur Thank God poverty isn't catching....
I went in the winter and was sickened by how expensive it was. Even the Migros is a rip off now.
Never been to Turkey before inflation but didn't find current prices in supermarkets like Migros shockingly high. Both the bread and olive oil is same price as in Czechia (I only checked major tourist location), many items were cheaper. Avocados were definitely not 24 liras per kg, but more like per pieces but even that is cheap.
@@leoprg5330 Well tbh I was told that Istanbul is always going to be that more pricey. I went to Antalya a year before and did notice the price rises there too but not as much.
@@Funnyoldworld-m5m Calling it a rip off makes it sound like Migros is trying to betray their customers when in reality they just have to adapt to the general inflation of the country.
Thanks, very informative! Yikes, I lived in Turkey 2014 - 2017. Inflation is horrendous.
Thank you for this very informative and timely video. It's very useful for planning my trip to Turkiye. I like the way you showed the exchange rate and then the prices of goods, transport, and food. That chicken kebab in the last segment looks so delicious! Its price was not bad for the size of the platter.
Nice video Jason! Thanks for the price updates. Like you said, devalued currency does not always mean cheap. Usually that occurs (cheaper price for a hard currency exchanger) early on in the cycle, before the inflation accelerates (if it does).
Good observation!!
Love this video. I mean inflation is one of the most talked about topic throughout the world with many countries experiencing it right now.
May be you can do a similar video everytime you visit a country. It would be very interesting to be able to compare when we are able to compare a country to another...
Cheers and keep it up
Marmeris used to be cheap ,been going to Turkey for 40 years ,prices are going through the roof for food and drinks. Dentists optician's cigarettes are still very cheap,the price of hotels has shot up alot.
I am now in vacation in Istanbul in Taksim and the prices are the same as Germany where i live! It’s too expensive and would not come here until it becomes cheaper!!! I would rather go other places! For a five persons family at least you need 4500€ / 9 days (all expenses from flight and going back) if you want to buy cloths etc… and once a day in a restaurant and do sightseeing… i love Istanbul ❤ but its not affordable anymore… BR
Don't come then.
@@alihanaydogdu6158 thanks 🙏 i would not
@@alihanaydogdu6158 Ok Boss i want not come again 🙏
@@navidnavidi9747 come again bro
Hey Jason thanks for a realistic perspective on current situation in turkey. Could you please recommend the best affordable restaurants or eateries? And evening hangouts (safest places) - perhaps a video? Thanks so much! Greetings from South Africa! 🎉😊
Hey, great video! I don’t have any plans right now to get to Istanbul, but it’s definitely one of those places. I really really want to check out. It’s nice to have a clue.
Thank you for your video very informative!
Looks like prices have shot up since I was there just last June! Thanks to the favourable exchange rate, I had a cheap but wonderful time staying in a beautiful Airbnb just round the corner from Taksim Square. It doesn't seem as though I would be able to repeat that experience quite so cheaply this year.
Nice presentation,good video !Those prices at Ehlikeyf Cafe ,Simit Sarayı seems very good for that touristy areas in Eminönü. Two months ago i was there behind of Spice Bazaar costed one espresso 100 TL, turkish coffee 80, one piece of cake 120 TL..Beer in a pub in Karaköy omg 200 TL ( 6 Euros- i did not order) Particularly In Grand Bazaar ( Kapalı Çarşı) the prices are totally crazy…More expensive than big europanien cities…Actually overall In Turkey now there is no more the sense of cost&value balance . You can pay anything anywhere,you have to be careful before you order.Ciao
As a foreigner visiting Turkey, it depends what time of the year and most probably the location. Lasf Feb-Mar this year, I was in Didim, dolmus is 15TL one way, I stayed in small but decent hotel in Altinkum for about $21 per day with free breakfast. Inside the room there is a small ref and a hot kettle which you can cook an egg and an instant noodle. There are McDonalds, BK, Starbucks, even Dominos Pizza. During Tourist month, hotel price can increase up to $60, but it includes breakfast, dinner and pool will be filled with water. Just be smart, go to Saturday Market, Bodrum turkish delights or Tugba for Souvenirs and be careful when buying carpets and turkish lights.
🙏Thank you.
We are planning our Türkiye-Greece trip for 2025. This is such a useful deep dive into local prices. I understand completely that this will not be current in a year. But you’ve given us a heads up. We will look for a similar video in March-April 2025.
Hello my friend Jason, I feel happy when I see your angelic face. Keep it up my friend, your videos are amazing 😊❤
As a turkish person, I could say the prices are nearly the same all over Istanbul. Also, your pronunciation of simit is so sweet :)
That massive plate of food was 200 lira which is about 9AUD. It would be triple that in Australia. Pasta and water was incredibly cheap in the supermarkets as well.
Go to istanbul it is ridiculously expensive we just spent 230 aud for dinner
@@Largeportion1000 What the hell?
Yeah it's still good value for us
And do you think they have Australian salaries?!
@@MariaWerner-sf1ef No so why do they charge like they do, Its ridiculous so much better cheaper food through out Europe
Thanks for your brand-new Istanbul report, May 23, 2024
The Blue Mosque is free to enter Jason
Ok and maybe hes not intrested
not anymore
@@kee7678really???😮
@@marialeocadi8556 Yes. Going there next week and my buddy lives there. Told me.
@@marialeocadi8556 oh cool!
was a wonderful trip in Istanbul I last July right before the high inflation started.everything was cheap and worthy for me and a lot of kind people
Useful update on inflation impact. The numbers help. Thanks
So true. I was there last month. Prices are really high, equivalent or even higher to a European capital. Food definitely wasn't what you see in TH-cam, you really have to do do some good research before you visit a restaurant otherwise you will be really disappointed..Still thought Istanbul and the surrounding areas that l visited was really nice.
I’m Just buying it up right now!! And holding it. I just bought $2800 lira for $101.00 US dollars 😅🎉🎉
They scammed you 101 dollars - 3200 Turkish Lira
Yeah why the hell would you buy a currency that's undergoing inflation
Or in the airport
31.5/$. Yesterday
Last time I was in Turkey was in 1993. I arrived in June 1991 for a US Air Force assignment. Exchange rate was 3000TL to 1 USD. So $100 US dollars got you 300000 Turkish Lira. When I left in 1993 it was 16000 to 1. Some things increased in price but several didn’t. An Efes beer was 800TL in 91. It was still 800TL in 93. That beer cost me about $0.35 US in 91 and about $0.02 in USD in 1993. Cheers
Really interesting Jason, thank you. The food still looks great in turkey! Those prices are a bit higher from a few years ago.😊
loved the way you pronounce simit 😂
You're partially right tho, even less tourists come and they have the same complaints as we have.
THE DAMN YELLOW CABS
Brilliant as always Jason!
If you are still in Istanbul I would recommend visiting the non tourist areas like atasehir and umraniye
What is he going to visit there? Apartment blocks?
@@emregomecoglu how about none tourist shops and restaurants where he won't get ripped off?
How about the decent malls or mimar cami?
Everyone shows europe side us non turks in uk usa etc don't wanna see the usual sultanahmet, taksim etc. The food is bad there the place is full of tourists and its been shown many times on YT. We wanna see real Istanbul
ümraniye? lol. at least say bebek or may be levent where there are cool cafes, restaurants to sit. anything you will find in ümraniye, you will find better in üsküdar or beşiktaş.
@@kocahmet1 and then pay double too?
Intereeting video!
Thanks for the updates update. Very informative and will help me budget accordingly.
Prices in tourist areas don't accurately reflect the true cost of living. It's beneficial to venture outside these areas and compare prices.
We just came back from Istanbul last friday and although it was nice we found the prices sky rocket high... we had to pay between 80 and 100 euro for dining allot of the time, ones they charged us 21 euro for a glass of wine, that's outrageous if you ask me. And all the tickets like you said end up also because there are dozens of things to visit.
We had the museum pass but with that pas you should be able to download an app with audio guide, but that one does not work and they do not give you an audio guide because you have to buy a paper ticket for that. We where blown away... and did not liked that.
The bad thing is they charge holiday visitors 10 times more then they do locals,
The price is already 25 to 30% higher then you now show in the video. For us way to expensive if you ask me if you take in mind that the supermarkt is verry cheap and sallary is also still low. Also transport is oke, per trip not 15 like you said but 17,7 now. Kebab is 300 to 450 almost every where, same for döner.
We want go there any more and found that allot of people we spoken to said the same. Its not what it was before.
Avocado per item not kilo,35 lira is not for the price of the milk ,it is a for the drink called Ayran.
Subscribed, its a delight to watch your channel my friend. 👍
Beautiful video Jason with good information. Blue Mosque is free entry but rest of huge entry fee, been to Istanbul 4 times in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023. In 2017 the Galata tower fee was 25TL and Topkapi Palace around 40TL. In 2017 £1 I got 5TL, 2019 was 8TL, 2021 around 17TL and 2023 Oct was 38TL. Yes foods and transportation was expensive now. My favourite Mosque is Camlica Camii and 2nd is Blue and 3rd is Sulemaniya Mosque. Regards
Half of the employees in the country work for minimum wage and the minimum wage is 17,000 TL = 472 € in 2024.

We just got back and were amazed at the prices from two years ago when we were there. Double for everything 😮
We will return though as we love it.
Thank you this is such a helpful video! We are arriving into Istanbul today! I just want to eat baklava cheap on a daily 😂
Güllüoğlu
Thanks for the information Mr.
I watch a lot of travel videos. Great job on presenting clear, concise information.
Problem is not prices. Salaries for locals
Fucking hell, as a local even I didnt know that the prices have skyrocketed that much. I dont usually visit touristic sides of Istanbul but boy it is expensive af. Especially Simit Sarayı, a single piece of börek for 160???? that's a major ripoff dude stay away from there.
It seems that you don't leave your neighborhood !!!...Compared to other countries, Turkey still remains cheap. In other countries prices have been multiplied by 4, 5 and more.
@@Salladin007 well that’s the case for tourists not locals, 160 liras for a single portion of börek is insane.
@@anna-qs9ul As he's mentioned " Simit Sarayi " is a franchise, as with Mc.Donald's. Prices do not change whether in a touristy area or not. That Simit Sarayi was in a section where workers or local people go to have their lunch. You call a home cooked meal in AU7.90 expensive. The same meal would cost minimum $15 in Australia. Even you can't get a sandwich for $7.90 in a supermarket. People visiting Australia are complaining how expensive the prices are. Maybe, there is a pattern with some visitors.
@@narniadan i know what simit sarayı is jesus christ, when i said that 160 liras for a single portion of börek is insane i wasn’t claiming that he got ripped off or anything i was trying to draw attention to how weak the currency has gotten because i remember paying 40-50 liras at MOST for the same thing a year ago. i don’t understand how this could be a topic of discussion at all considering that turkey has an inflation rate of %70 (according to international data, i’d claim that it’s even more) you can’t compare it to a country like Australia where inflation stands at single digits. and the fact that it seems cheap to tourists just further proves my point.
@@anna-qs9ul If you know then your comment " tourists not for locals, 160 TL borek in Simit Sarayi is confusing because it sounds as the prices at that Simit Sarayi is a tourist trap.
Single digits or double digits; a bottle of water $3 - 5 in a supermarket, sit down $7. One stop or withing one zone one way $4, ferry all day $50, Uber for couple of miles minimum $12, from airport to the city $70 It's not cheap according to people visiting Australia. And calm down.
it does not matter how much it is expensive. Lovely country Turkey
Your back ! Good you make great videos
Real inflation at %150 ( minimum) in the markets
If you are a manufacturing country, self sustainable and less dependent on the imports for basic goods and raw materials (oil, etc.) the fall of currency will not change much of the cost of goods. Like what happen here, regardless of the local currency value, the price of goods need constant revision as everything is tied to USD.
Hoşgeldin tekrardan güzel ülkemize seni izlemek güzel ❤❤
Artık Türkiye'de çok fazla başörtüsü var. Yani artık güzel değil
Ve Türkiye'de çok sayıda Suriyeli ve Pakistanlı var.
hoşuma gitmedi
Istanbul was the most visited city in the world last year according to Euromonitor Global Index. One thing people keep forgetting is wages have also gone up in both Lira and Dollar Euro terms. Minimum and average wage are 60-70% more than 2 years ago in USD, EUR. Just that it is very expensive to rent or buy property and eating out is much more in dollars than the last few years.
and antalya is 4th most visited city in the world. paris is 5th.
Don’t lie, purchasing power of Turks is wrecked in the last 4 years.
@@Vatan1871 Cost of living went up by 60-70 percent in dollars too, just like wages (310USD minimum wage in 2022 to 530USD in 2024- do your math!). Lowest level public servant gets 1000USD a month. It would be crazy to claim purchasing power is good for Turks, but Turkey is expensive for foreigners too, no more of that "Ahh Turkey is dirt cheap" bullsh*t. Go change yr name first, before talking yr country down in front of foreigners.
Seven and a half million Turks are working in European countries they are considered tourists as well
@@kocahmet1that's wild
Love Turkish food, doubt I will ever be able to visit, so thank you for this wonderful video.
It certainly sounds quieter than Bangladesh or India or Pakistan!
Great video!
please do not compare turkey with pakistan and bangladesh.the countries you mentioned are far behind turkey and are uneducated.
Hi Jason! Great video!
I wonder if the prices are even lower on the Asian side of Istanbul? And may I ask you where did you buy your black jacket, it's really nice?
Keep on the good job!
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably price, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side.
Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't there long time, but I remember people from other Balkans coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives because of the variety of the goods in the past. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to. Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Good luck!
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably priced, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side.
Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been, is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't been there for a long time, but I remember people from other Balkan countries coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives in the past because of the variety of the goods in. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Galata area is where local go to - modern Galata pier is expensive, Galata Barlar sokağı where many reasonable priced pubs. Beyoğlu both local and tourist. Beşiktaş on European side is the students and football fans. Hence, you could find very cheap food and pubs. But if there's a football game, especially UEFA or European Cup, that area can get crazy and out of control.
Not particularly. Kadıköy center where many locals go to for shopping is reasonably priced, so does Üsküdar. Bağdat caddesi Suadiye is expensive though on Asian side.
Mahmutpaşa, which is in Europe, where Jason has been, is the cheapest place in Istanbul. That's why many poor families travel all the way doing monthly shopping. It is also the area where wholesalers are. I haven't been there for a long time, but I remember people from other Balkan countries coming by car used to go to that area filling their car for themselves, neighbours, relatives in the past because of the variety of the goods in. That time, there were more other Balkan people than Turkish. Usually Turkish people don't go to Sultan Ahmet, Grand Baazar ( unless for gold ) the closed section ( outside is wholesalers so business people buy in bulk) However, as a tourist that part is the only part you would get ripped off. So be careful with the prices and sellers. Though, it is cheap, you might get tricked ending up paying high. Even as a Turkish I got ripped of at a restaurant just outside of the Grand Bazaar. They looked like sketchy people anyway but at the time we were tired, couldn't think, didn't look at people running it. The expensive suburbs are Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye, Maçka, Gayrettepe, Etiler, Tarabya, Kemer Burgaz and maybe Bebek on European side. When I say expensive, very expensive. More expensive then Suadiye on Asian side. Kuzguncuk or along there on Asian side quite , relaxed atmosphere but still fun. Galata area is where local go to - modern Galata pier is expensive, Galata Barlar sokağı where many reasonable priced pubs. Beyoğlu both local and tourist. Beşiktaş on European side is the students and football fans. Hence, you could find very cheap food and pubs. But if there's a football game, especially UEFA or European Cup, that area can get c.y and out of control.
@@tesekkur What... I didn't ask the questions to you?
@123Ryanist Then DM to Jason. This is an open platform. A normal person would say thank you, but obviously, something is wrong with you.
Hey Jason. We just arrived to Istanbul today. Would be cool to meet up if you are still around. Last time I saw you on your flight back from Turkey on the plane (doubt you remember though as it was ages).
♥️ from Bangladesh to Jason and Turkish brothers and sisters.
It did get cheaper for the tourists. Pity to the local people.
I'm Ozzie and just back from 3 weeks in Turkey. Restaurants in Turkey in my experience were approximately the same price as OZ and UK (ie expensive) with Turkish wine (surprisingly good) more expensive. Lovely people.
Blue mosque is always been free to walk in
In my 2019 trip, a Durum Kebap was ₺12 (USD $2 in 2019) and today it is ₺180 (USD $5.60).
Kunefe was ₺12 (USD $2 in 2019) and today it is ₺160 (USD $5)
Entry fee to Hagia Sofiya was ₺60 (USD $10 in 2019) and today it is ₺850 (USD $27)
A single journey on tram was ₺2.65 (USD $0.45 in 2019) and today it is ₺17.7 (USD $0.55)
A meal for two in a good restaurant was ₺150 (USD $25 in 2019) and now it looks like ₺1200 (USD $37)
This is insane!!!
Actually it isn't.
My god thats so crazyyy
If you going to compare what you could buy in Us dollars in 2019 and now. Do not forget even in the Us prices of 2019 and now its not the same actually its even worse. Check the price of 3 piece of Kfc in 2019 and now, or of a bugger in Mcdonalds
@@goliniorchards9149 The USD conversion that I've mentioned is for 2019 and 2024. So the values are correct.
It means that the exchange rate of 32 liras to USD 1 is too high, should be about 45---48 liras to USD 1 will be reasonable?
Actually, the bazaar area you visited starting at 3:15 is called Mahmutpaşa.
In Turkey right now, from Australia! More expensive than my relatives who went a year ago.
We got a menu where the old prices are covered with a sticker. We lifted the sticker. In one increase, here are some examples in Australian Dollars:
Garlic bread $1 now $8
Margarita drink $3 now $15
Soup $2 now $10
At the beach a man tried selling coconuts to drink $20 each.
I bought a bottle of water and a small pack of biscuits $12.
Entry to many ruins around $60.
Unless we eat a kebab, dinners are around $50-$80 for two people. Excludes alcohol (don't drink much).
In 18.20 the ones that you have shown as milk are ayran, the yogurt drink😄😄
As you guys have noticed the public transportation prices in Istanbul is super low in comparison to everything.
It is thanks to the mayor of Istanbul who supported people's right to travel as much as they like😊 Students can travel during the whole month almost limitlessly paying 5-6 pounds regardless of the means of transportation (etc bus, tube, ferry it doesn't matter).
Public transport has always been cheap, almost cheapest in the world. Always. Was, still. Nothing to do with new mayor.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@hasret8637 Sorry, the fact made you crazy.
Imagine ur a local and earn 17k lira minimal wage (which 50% of the population earn) while the rent is 14k in istanbul (1-2 rooms). Crazy...
Haven’t visited 🇹🇷 since 2017. I would get shock now tho 🤯
I'm English and live in Turkey. It's now cheaper for me to take my summer holiday in Spain than in Turkey. Forgot Turkey as a cheap destination.
Great video Jason
thank you very informing all on cost of things and inflation. Until next time take care and peace
Great video Jason. Really helpful to see prices and compare. Are you staying in Istanbul much longer?
Prices in tourist countries have seriously gone through the roof... Either western countries inflation is actually not bad in comparison, or tourist countries have caught on and are just ripping off westerners. I recently paid $16 for a cappucino, $40 for a burger, and like $120 for dinner in an average restaraunt, in countries where most people make $50 a day at most. Something is seriously wrong... I think too many westerners have been trying to chase a cheaper lifestyle overseas, and tourist countries have caught on to this and have raised their prices to be similar if not more than our western countries. Crazy
Well, the prices are the same for the locals and they are also high in non-touristic places as well (I am talking for Turkey) and I was also shocked to pay 10£s for a cappucino at a starbucks, and as you say the local everyday restaurants are also overpriced. In fact a couple of weeks ago local Turkish people boycotted the restaurants for the overpricin, and did not eat out for a weekend. If this trend continues no-one including the tourists won't be able to eat outside. But considering the fact that Turkey is 90 million and this overpricing is everywhere, it is more about the overall trend rather than ripping of the tourists, the prices are the same for everyone, actually hotels are more expensive for the Turks...
What are you saying prices is same for everyone
@fairysoul444 inflation is everywhere in Turkey not just tourist areas. It is affecting daily life for Turks and harming them more than western tourists.
@@vintage1900 ik? Thats what i said
$40 for a burger: which city?
A local would not shop in that supermarket in taksim that’s been designed and priced for tourists you are better of in BİM OR 101 or Migros
Very clear and very useful pleas do more vdo thanks u
Last time I was there I found a gem spot . 42 lira adana kebab portion
Thanks again John in Chicago
I was in Istanbul a year ago and in a year the property rentals have almost doubled. I was shocked. I am wanting to go back to Turkey but it has gotten so expensive. Was cheap as chips when I visited. Food looks reasonable.
Gave me a better understanding how to count the money. Thank you 😊
Good video!
Nice one Jason
Wow! I was at the airport recently to change planes was shocked at the prices. - €20 for a sandwich Way more than Europe. Paid €5 for something silmilar in Malta I just thought it was an airport rip off but checking the price of a typical sight such as Topkai I see it comes out at a stonking £48/€57 with the harem access. Way more than say the Tower of London (£34) Crossing Turkey off my list til prices calm down
It's for sure a rip off at the airport. Be prepared before you arrive and never buy anything from there unless you're really desperate
Don't come to Ontario Canada ... prices here make Istanbul look cheap 😢
Well I’m sure that wages in Ontario is higher than Istanbul
Does the council of Ontorio take 45journalist from different media companies, but all allies of the council which continually doing marketing of the opposition party ( CHP) in Canada, and the council book and pays for one of the most luxurious hotels in Rome - 50000 TL for a night , as well as having the most expensive of wines. Some journalists brought their partners also. As well as opposition party journalists, 30 people from council ( !!!!) Total 75 people to see the sign up for European Games. Their extra luxury stay , all paid by public money - I paid for those journalists' luxury.
Its not Canada anymore. Turbanators destroyed this country just like their own one.
It's not only Ontario, Australia, the UK, USA all feeling the heavy financial burden. Poor people not even able to afford rent. Consequently, the crime rate has increased.
How I see the UK after 3 years living in China (I went home) on YT
@@nismo_north1097 I’m sure your salaries are a lot higher!
Wow what happened to Turkey? Most are even more expensive than it is in Greece, few years ago Greek people always talked when visiting Turkey about how cheap it was!
The loudspeakers of the Mosques are not for invitation to prayer but a loud pop concert!
CAN YOU MAKE A VIDEO OF PRICE DIFFERENCE OF STAYING / FOOD IN ASIA VS. EUROPE SIDES... THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING