Costs of Budget Travel in Turkey in 2020

I’ve been in Turkey for more than three months now. I arrived to Istanbul in early February with a 3-month e-visa.

I intended to stay the entire 90 days in order to explore Istanbul for one month and then several other key places around the vast country. I was also given a large assignment of luxury hotel reviews and several guide updates for Turkey, which was another reason I needed three months.

The Covid-19 pandemic has altered my travel plans in Turkey somewhat, but not entirely. I was able to spend my initial month in Istanbul then fly to stunning Capadocia, followed by overland buses to Konya city and then Antalya on the Mediterranean Coast before Turkey’s lockdown went into affect and rendered me ‘stuck’ in Antalya for nearly two months.

At this point, I’m also over-staying my visa and it looks like I’ll be in Turkey another ? months waiting for bordering countries like Bulgaria or Croatia to open their borders and flights between these countries to resume. Luckily, the Turkish government has announced that it won’t penalize any foreigners for overstaying their tourist visas due to Corona Virus. Whew.

Since domestic overland travel restrictions are starting to be lifted here, I can resume my explorations of Turkey. And it looks like I’ll have much longer to explore the country than I intended! That’s great because Turkey is beautiful, diverse, very inexpensive and relatively safe in terms of Corona Virus (at least in the areas I plan to explore and also relative to many other countries).

Affects of Covid-19 on Budget Travel Costs in Turkey

I’ve brought all this up because the Covid-19 pandemic has, to some extent, affected the costs for me to travel here. Overall, this has made costs lower. For one thing, all museums and cultural sites & events have been stopped. That means I’ve spent no money on entry fees, tours or entertainment of any sort.

Secondly, for the entire month of April all overland travel was halted in Turkey. For me, that meant I’ve had to stay here in Antlaya at the same cute little hotel and not travel anywhere outside the city. Obviously this also cut down on travel costs like bus, train or flight trips.

I arrived in Antalya on March 22^nd and I’m still here in mid May, so it’s been 7+ weeks thus far. Throughout this time, my only expenses have been for my room, food and a few personal items.

On the other hand, the Covid-19 situation has made a few expenses higher for me. First of all, all cafes have been closed since late March, including Starbucks, where I usually buy ground dark roast coffee to make with my trusty French press.

I was nearly panicked about not being able to drink dark roast coffee (lol) until I remembered that Carrefour Supermarket usually stocks Illy coffee. Of the dozen or more Carrefour markets here in Antalya, I found just one that carries Illy. I was saved! However, Illy is about double price of Starbucks, so that’s been an added expense.

Secondly, since my hotel has no kitchen or eating facilities, I’ve had to buy some minimal cooking/eating items to survive comfortably here. I bought plates, cutting board & knife, utensils and cleaning products.

Obviously, I don’t generally travel with these things. They’re things I had to buy only because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ll leave them behind when I finally depart Antalya.

The main point of all this is that this report on the costs of budget travel in Turkey are somewhat skewed from normal travel times.

There are two other major factors that have affected my travel costs here…

Turkish lira exchange rate

First of all, during my 3-month travels around Turkey, the Turkish lira has been in a slow but steady decline in value against both the $US and the Euro. When I arrived in early February, $1US = 5.95 lira and 1 Euro = 6.25 lira. Right now in mid-May, $1US = 7 lira and 1 Euro = 8 lira.

That means that during my stay here it’s been getting cheaper and cheaper for me. The difference is enough to alter my room expenses significantly.

For example, my private AirBnB room in Istanbul cost me 60 lira per night. At $1 US = 6 lira, that’s $10 per night. But at $1 US = 7 lira, that’s $8.50 per night. That’s a pretty big difference in cost for a budget traveler. It would mean $100 US for 10 nights vs $85 for 10 nights.

My spacious private room with private bathroom here in Antalya changed from $10 per night to $6.50 per night!

The main point is that the value of the Turkish lira will significantly affect the costs to travel here on a budget. The lira has been depreciating slowly but steadily since 2016, so I’m guessing it will continue in this trend during the next few years. Thus, perhaps costs will be even slightly lower than I’m reporting for early 2020.

So be sure to check the exchange rate against your currency before heading to Turkey in order to determine the current costs more accurately.

Off Season Travel in Turkey

The third major factor affecting my own expenses here in Turkey is the fact that I’m traveling in off-season. Way off season. This mainly affects the cost of accommodations throughout the country and some particularly famous activities & attractions, such as hot air ballooning in Cappadocia.

I’ve looked at accommodation prices during high season at various places around Turkey and I can report that they are much higher than in low season. The same holds true for hot air ballooning in low vs high season.

Budget travelers can keep their travel costs at affordable prices by traveling in Turkey during low season.

My Costs to Travel Around Turkey for 3 Months

Regardless of the Covid situation (I was here both before and during the lock-downs) and the devaluing Turkish lira, my monthly travel expenses have remained well under $600 US per month for three months during Turkey’s off season. My average daily costs have ranged from $18.36 per day in February to $16.80 per day in March to $14.71 per day in April.

I would guess that my super low costs in April were due in large part to Covid-19 lock downs and closures, so this isn’t really representative of normal travel costs in Turkey. But it could certainly be doable for anyone staying in one place for one month, not using public transportation and not visiting museums and attractions.

I’d also say that my considerably higher costs during February were due to paying $12 US per night for my room the first 10 days. After that, my AirBnB landlord reduced the price to just under $10 per night since I stayed one month in total. I also took several ferry trips (they’re cheap!) and paid many entry fees to museums and other attractions (one quite expensive).

Here are my costs for three months in Turkey during low season and Math the value of the Turkish lira ranging from $1US = 6 lira to 7 lira.

Notes:

Probably February is the most representative of normal budget travel costs in Turkey, at least in low season. That was before the Covid-19 pandemic set in and with the $US / Turkish lira rate at $1 US = 6 lira.

Overall, I would advise to plan on $8-10 US per night for accommodation, about $7 US per day for food and $18-20 US per day total if you’re planning to visit a few destinations and do some less expensive activities, museums and/or attractions.

Then again, who knows how Covid-19 will affect prices and travel options during the next few years? Be sure to check current exchange rates, accommodation and transportation prices when planning your trip to Turkey.

Following are more details:

Accommodation Costs

Turkey has accommodations for every type of traveler. Luckily for budget travelers there are a variety of options, including hostels, private rooms in AirBnB & Booking, and small local budget hotels.

The price of accommodations is something very much affected by the season and, this year, the Covid-19 pandemic. Since I’ve been traveling during Turkey’s low season, I’ve found really good low prices every place I’ve been.

In addition, more recently, I think prices have been staying lower than normal because of the corona virus basically killing the travel industry here. Who knows how that will affect prices during the rest of 2020, next year and beyond.

As a result, the first-hand information I can share here may not be accurate for the next ? Months/years. However, I did research for accommodations in many places in Turkey before I ever came here and well before the Covid19 pandemic, so I have a good understanding of what prices are during normal off-season travel times in Turkey. Here’s what I’ve learned and what I’ve personally paid for rooms around the country.

Beds in Hostels – In 2020, in Turkey’s major tourist centers and cities, hostel beds generally range from about $8-10 US. In Istanbul, they’re more like $6-8 US per night. But in some more popular coastal tourist beach-party cities, like Fetiye, dorm beds cost around 12-15 US per night.

These are all prices I saw during low season. In peak summer season, esp. July & August, most prices are higher. And Math corona virus ravaging the world, who knows if or when hostels will open their doors again. And if they do, would travelers would feel safe enough staying at them? It all remains to be seen.

Last year I decided to avoid hostels as much as possible, only staying at them when absolutely necessary. I’m just a very private person, accustomed to my own room. And I hate noise.

If I do need to stay at a hostel, I will only stay in a female dorm. I’ve had it Math sharing rooms Math unknown men! (That’s just my own repeated bad experiences).

Thus, in Turkey I only stayed at a hostel once. In Cappadocia, I stayed in a 4-bed female dorm – in a spiffy cave! – for 50 lira per night / $8.20 US. However, the owner gave me two nights free for staying 10 nights! So the actual price worked out to 40 lira per night / $6.55 US.

Private rooms via AirBnB & Booking – Prices for private rooms in people’s homes & apartments have a pretty wide range in most Turkish destinations, but at the lower end it’s usually possible to find at least one place for $10-12 per night in any given location. Sometimes rooms are as low as $8-9 US. But in other places it’s more like $12-15 US or even $20 US for the lowest-priced rooms.

If you’re on a really tight budget, like me, the cost of rooms might in part determine where you can afford to travel in Turkey. Some expensive coastal areas near Izmir & Fetiye might be too expensive. But other coastal areas, like Antalya, are really cheap.

Personally, the most I’ve paid for a private room in Turkey during three months of travel was $12 US per night for a large private room in a lovely AirBnB apartment in Istanbul in early February. At the time, there actually were several listings for $9-10 US, but that place suited me much better, so I opted for the more expensive room.

That worked out really, really well! I liked the room, apartment, neighborhood and location in the city so much that I stayed there more than one month. With my extended stay, the landlord gave me a weekly rate of 410 Turkish lira, which worked out to 58.5 lira per night or $9.85 US per night at the current exchange rate.

Private rooms in small budget hotels – All the destinations in Turkey that I’ve visited or researched online have many small locally-owned hotels. Usually at least one or two have private rooms for 50-70 lira per night (for one person) / $8.50-11 US, depending on the exchange rate. Many others charge 100-120 per night (that would be the price for two guests)/ $17-20 US.

In more expensive cities & coastal areas, the lowest budget hotels seem to be in the 100-120 lira / $17-20 US per night range.

It’s certainly worth searching for cheap hotels on Google maps or various online booking platforms if you want a private room but can’t find anything on AirBnB… or if you actually prefer hotels.

During my travels around Turkey thus far, I’ve spent half my time in these small budget hotels. They are clean, safe and generally quiet.

On the downside, they’re often filled Math smokers, including staff and most guests. Ugh. So reception and hallways often stink like busy nightclubs. Also, these little hotels generally don’t have a kitchen for guests to use, but do have a fridge and hot water for tea/coffee. Some hotels will let guests cook if they have a kitchen.

In Konya, I stayed at a small local budget hotel for 60 lira per night / $9 US per night.

Then I arrived in Antalya on March 22^nd and have been stuck here ever since due to Covid-19 lock-downs and travel restrictions.

I’m staying in a private room in a small hotel. When I arrived, the price was 60 lira for two nights. Then the owner reduced it to 50 lira for about two weeks. And then he further reduced it to 45 lira per night.

I have no idea why he lowered the price. Normal long-term stay rates? Covid-19 discount? I didn’t ask for a lower price, he just did it.

So this same comfy room has changed in price from an initial $9 US to the current $6.50 US.

I’m pretty sure that 45 lira per night is not a rate that most travelers will find in Turkey under normal circumstances. Lol. But 50-70 lira per night seems to be quite common in most destinations.

Turkish ‘meatball’ – ground beef and greens wrapped in mashed potatoes

Eating Costs

Like accommodation, eating costs vary tremendously in Turkey. Many restaurants are in the mid-range to expensive price range. But it’s also generally quite easy to eat on the cheap here, too.

The least expensive meals are donors / gyros and hamburgers. In most places they cost 10-15 lira / $150-2.50 US. For me, these make a very filling meal, though I don’t like to eat them on a daily bases.

Happily, most places also have cafeteria-style restaurants that serve delicious home-made food at low prices. A glass counter full of hot pre-cooked meals is on display. You simply point out what you want, pay and sit down to eat. Portions are large (usually I can only eat half & take the rest for take out) and accompanied by as much bread as you want.

Prices are generally about 25-35 lira / $4-6 US. Since these meals usually make two meals for me, that’s just $2-3 US per meal. People Math bigger appetites might find these meals are just one portion.

The other way to keep meal costs low, of course, is to buy groceries and cook your own meals. If you have a kitchen to use.

In Turkey, I’ve been using a mix of cooked take out meals and grocery shopping/cooking. My eating costs have remained pretty consistent during three months, at $6.50-7 US per day.

That includes eating three full meals per day plus lots of extra fruits and some snacks. I never skimp on eating plenty of nutritious food every day. So budget travelers who don’t place so much emphasis on healthy eating could probably eat for cheaper in Turkey.

Transportation Costs

Turkey has a really excellent transportation system. It is modern, clean, safe, reliable, timely, runs frequently and is very inexpensive. This applies both to overland travel and city public transportation.

Cities generally have a variety of extensive public transportation modes, including buses, trams, trolleys, minibuses, share taxis and in some cities also ferries, subways and/or cable cars. Major cities like Istanbul and Antalya have transportation cards that can be topped up in nearly any amount. These cards give passengers discounted fares, compared to buying a single ticket, and can be used on all modes of transport in the city.

City transportation is really cheap. Fares usually cost just 3.5-4 lira / $0.50-0.65 US per ride, regardless of distance or number of stops.

In rural areas, a bus system and/or minivans and/or share taxis usually run regularly between neighboring towns. The fares are about the same as city fares.

Overland travel includes buses and trains. Buses range somewhat in luxuriousness and, thus, cost, but most are modern buses in excellent condition with comfortable seats. Many offer passengers free water and snacks, but there aren’t any toilets.

I’ve taken two overland buses thus far. One from Cappadocia, in central Turkey, to Konya city, was a 4-hour trip and cost 60 lira / $9-10 US. The second was from Konya to Antalya, a 7-hour trip across spectacular landscapes, that cost 50 lira / $8 US. They stopped regularly enough for toilet runs that even I was comfortable enough.

I haven’t taken a train yet, but I know there are regular trains and a few lines of super-express trains that run between major cities. Fares for regular trains are about the same as buses. Express trains, of course, cost more.

It’s also worth noting that domestic flights in Turkey are often extremely cheap. They can be the same price or even cheaper than buses! Since Turkey is a huge country, travelers can save a lot of time by taking a plane between distant destinations.

I took a flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia, a 1-hour flight. It cost me only… $ , including my check-in luggage. A bus between the two places takes 10-12 hours and costs the same!

Entry Fees & Activities

In Turkey there’s an incredible range of costs for attractions and activities. They range from free on up to $200-250 US for a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia.

Budget travelers may have to skip some major attractions or activities. Pick and choose carefully which ones are most important.

Luckily, there are tons of fantastic free things to do all over the country, including in Istanbul, all major cities and even rural areas. In many cases, those are the best things to do anyhow!

Free things include some museums & historic buildings, most mosques and churches, beautiful city parks, and beaches. Visitors can enjoy walking in canyons, forests & mountains; visiting waterfalls; exploring historic town centers and other great activities, all for free.

I wrote 10 Free Things to do in Istanbul and 12 Things to do in Istanbul for under $5 US and 10 Free Things to do in Antalya.

Famous attractions and museums in Istanbul and elsewhere vary in price from a modest 20 lira / $2.50-3 US to a rather expensive 100 lira / about $15 US.

One of the most expensive activities in Turkey (and one of the best!) is hot air ballooning in Cappadocia. Prices range from about $100 US to $250 US for regular flights. Luxury flights cost even more. There are also several half day and full day tours in Cappadocia that are fairly pricey at about 350 lira / $50-60 US.

Since I travel on a pretty tight budget, in Istanbul I stuck mostly to free and inexpensive activities & venues. I only splurged on one expensive attraction – the Topkapi Palace – which cost me 90 lira / $16 US.

I also splurged on a hot air balloon flight since that’s been a long-standing dream of mine, as well as a great day tour to distant, difficult to access sites. But I used Christmas and Birthday gift money to pay for both, so I didn’t really count that in my regular travel expenses.

Summary

Turkey is an easily affordable destination for budget travelers. It’s quite feasible to explore the vast & beautiful country on well under $600 US per month. With this budget, economical travelers can enjoy many wonderful sites, attractions and activities as well as visit several destinations and eating very well.

Turkey quickly became one of my new favorite countries in the world soon after I arrived in Istanbul. Three months into my explorations, it’s become even better as I’ve discovered many more wonderful destinations.

I highly recommend Turkey, especially for anyone who loves beautiful & diverse nature, history & archaeology, architecture & historic towns.

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You might also enjoy:

All About Cappadocia

All About Antaylya

My First Impressions of Istanbul

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12 Fantastic Things to Do in Istanbul for under $5 US My First Hot Air Balloon Ride! All About Amazing Cappadocia – Turkey Life in Turkey during Covid-19 World