Let’s get historical real quick. Istanbul is a city that has been on the world stage for thousands of years. Formerly known as Constantinople, it was a jewel of the Roman Empire, the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and now stands as the crown jewel of Turkey. Istanbul has one foot in Europe and the other in Asia making it a gateway between east and west.
Istanbul’s location makes it so diverse in culture and history (and in more ways than I can grasp). This makes for such a unique and exciting city that it’s no wonder that Istanbul is the fifth most visited city in the world. And the best part is that it’s relatively affordable! This budget will show how you can spend $40 a day over the course of five days to see all the big highlights of Istanbul with sometime to explore the local scene.
| Category | Expected Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $3.00 |
| Entertainment | $4.00 |
| Food | $16.00 |
| Living | $4.50 |
| Lodging | $9.00 |
| Travel | $3.50 |
| Grand Total | $40.00 |
Table 1. Expected cost per day for a five-day trip
Alcohol
Let’s start with the good stuff: Istanbul’s booming nightlife. In comparison to many of their neighbors, Turkey is fairly liberal and open, especially Istanbul. This has fostered a pretty vibrant party scene scattered throughout the city with the Karakoy District being at the center of it all.
I mean it is a predominantly Islamic country after all, so don’t try to run down the street half naked with a bottle of tequila in your hand. And definitely don’t do this in the Sultanahmet District since liquor is illegal in and around mosques.
If you do decide to grab a beer or two, don’t expect any favorable prices since the government has a fairly high sin tax. A cheap beer will cost around ₺9.50 ($2.50) while a nicer bar with microbrews will go as high as ₺15.50 ($4.00).
Something worth a try is Raki. It’s a liquor made from grapes and aniseed and has a very distinctive and powerful black licorice flavor. I personally think that licorice flavored drinks (looking at you jaeger) are made from the blood of the devil with the sole purpose of spiting me. But if devil’s blood is your jam, a bottle of Raki can cost as low as ₺30.95 ($8).
I feel like this needs to be turned into mead
Entertainment
The biggest tourist sights here do have a decent sized entry fee. The Hagia Sophia costs ₺40 ($11.40) per person but the other smaller attractions are easily half this price.
This budget plans for a visit to the Hagia Sophia and two more attractions like the Basilica Cistern or a stop in a traditional public bathhouse. Why are we only budgeting for three places? Because all those giant bazars, less notable (but still giant) mosques, waterfront walks and city exploration are free! With the sheer size of the city and all its attractions, you won’t need to pay for many admission fees.
Entering this mosque is free!
Food
Find yourself a good gastric bypass surgeon to put on speed dial before you go. Turkish food is decadent, rich, and so tasty that it’s probably the nectar of the Gods. After all, you’ll need a godly stomach to survive all the unhealthy food you’re going to eat. The wonderful blend of east and west and the medley of spices with affordable prices makes this a gastronomical delight. Put aside the self-catering and prepare to budget more because it’s more than worth it to eat out.
Costs here will vary greatly, but as a general rule you can expect quick kebabs and durums to cost no more than ₺8 ($2.07). A meal with drinks and appetizers at a cheaper restaurant can cost as low as ₺20 ($5.17) and cost no more than ₺35 ($9.05). And since there’s so many desserts and small finger food in Istanbul, you’ll have to try all those as well. Whether its Kunefe, Turkish Delight or Baklava, expect to spend around ₺5 – ₺10 ($1.30 – $2.58) a portion.
You know the fish sandwiches are fresh when they make them on the boat
Living
Hand wash your clothing and bring everything you need. Laundry services aren’t too expensive if you need them. The real cost here will be getting your Turkish Visa. As an American and at the time of writing this, it costs ₺74 ($20.72) for the visa.
Lodging
In the main tourist area, Sultanahmet District, there’s so much competition that a decent hostel will run you no more than ₺31 ($8.00) a night! If you do decide to go to other areas, there’s significantly less options and the prices will be noticeably higher. Because of that, I recommend staying in the centrally located Sultanahmet District and heading out to the other areas of town as necessary because transport is so cheap.
Travel
Did I mention that the greater Istanbul area has over 14 million people? It definitely shows. The traffic here seems to persist all day and all night. When I caught a ferry far out into the Bosporus Strait, I still remember how the entire city skyline filled my entire field of vision, as if the city never ended.
Dat smog though
On the bright side, a metropolis like this sports a pretty cheap public transportation system!
The first thing you should do out of the airport to get to town is to take the public bus. It costs ₺15 ($4.20) for an hour and a half ride and drops you downtown close to the tram station. You can pick yourself up an Istanbul Kart Pass there.
This is a transportation card for buses, ferries, and trams that greatly reduces the fair. Even if you’re just passing through town, it’s worth getting the card. The card itself costs ₺6 ($1.55) and with it, a tram ticket will cost ₺2.60 ($0.67). Without the card, each trip costs ₺4 ($1.03). This means that after a meager four or five rides, the card pays for itself.
With the size of the city, you’ll easily take those four rides in a day. Sultanahmet District is so big that you’ll want to catch a bus to get around. If you want to go to a neighboring district, that’s a quick tram ride. If you want to explore the Asian side of Istanbul, it’s a quick ferry ride over to Kadikoy district. The ferry rides are also pretty cheap and can go as low as ₺2 ($0.52)!
The only ferry that costs even a semi-substantial amount is the ferry to the beautiful Princess Islands. It’s a great ride to get there and the islands themselves are wonderful. All that for the low ferry price of ₺5.20 ($1.46)! Just make sure you leave in time to catch the last ferry back.
Taking a shit in the squat toilet on this ferry was one of the most uncomfortable and most satisfying experiences in my life
My Costs
I actually ended up staying eight whole days since I was taking my sweet time and lounging around. I drank more than I should and lived more luxuriously in the local areas. This caused my budget to be higher than prescribed. A little higher than I would like, but the cost also includes my plane ticket from Copenhagen to Istanbul.
| Category | Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $5.04 |
| Entertainment | $3.50 |
| Food | $15.68 |
| Living | $6.20 |
| Lodging | $8.77 |
| Travel | $13.14 |
| Grand Total | $52.34 |
Table 2. Actual cost per day over eight days
Istanbul is my first glimpse into the Middle Eastern world and it showed me how little I knew about the Middle East. I wish I had more time to explore and educate myself on these customs, but I wanted to get to Southeast Asia while it’s the cool season so I don’t melt.
| Category | Total Running Cost per Day |
| Alcohol | $4.42 |
| Entertainment | $4.54 |
| Food | $13.20 |
| Living | $1.87 |
| Lodging | $20.47 |
| Travel | $8.03 |
| Grand Total | $52.53 |
Table 3. Running total after 116 days of traveling.
Until next time.