Moving to Turkey
Complete relocation guide
Moving Checklist
Before & after arrival
Relocation Timeline
Week-by-week what to expect
Cost of Living
Budgets across major cities
Healthcare in Turkey
Insurance, SGK, hospitals
From the UK
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Budget Tools
Monthly Budget Calculator for Living in Turkey
Select your city, household size, lifestyle, and whether you have a car. Get a detailed itemised monthly budget — plus how it compares to Western European equivalents.
Budget calculator
Personalise your Turkey monthly budget.
Select your parameters below. The budget updates instantly. All figures in EUR, based on 2026 market data.
Household
One person
Lifestyle
Car
Includes fuel, insurance, and maintenance estimate for Antalya.
Antalya · Single · Comfortable
Monthly
€823
Annual
€9,876
Rent
1BR
€350
Utilities
Electricity, water, internet, gas
€55
Groceries
Supermarket + local market
€160
Transport
Public transport / dolmuş / taxis
€18
Health insurance
Private health insurance (required for ikamet)
€60
Dining out
Restaurants and cafés
€90
Entertainment
Activities, subscriptions, travel
€40
Personal / misc
Clothing, toiletries, haircuts, incidentals
€50
Quick comparison
Comfortable single budget across all 5 cities.
Keeping your other selections the same — see how your total changes across cities. No car included.
Understanding costs
What drives the cost differences between Turkish cities.
Rent is the biggest variable
Rent accounts for 35–45% of most expat budgets. Istanbul's rent is 50–60% higher than Antalya or Alanya for equivalent quality. Choosing a coastal city over Istanbul cuts your total monthly cost by 30–40% even if other expenses are similar. Your single biggest cost decision is city selection.
Healthcare costs equalise across cities
Private health insurance (required for residence permits) costs roughly similarly across all cities — €40–120/month for standard plans. This is one of the costs that does not vary much by location. Coastal cities have good private hospitals (Antalya has excellent international facilities); Istanbul has the widest choice.
Transport depends on car ownership
In Istanbul, public transport (Istanbulkart) makes car ownership optional and expensive. In coastal cities, car ownership adds €130–215/month but dramatically improves lifestyle. For couples and families, a shared car cost (€65–120/person) is often worthwhile. Single retirees in walkable areas (Konyaaltı promenade, Fethiye centre) often manage without one.
Dining out is remarkably affordable
A meal at a typical Turkish restaurant (lokanta) costs €3–7 per person including bread and drinks. A proper mid-range restaurant dinner for two is €18–30 in Antalya vs £50–80 in London. This makes the 'dining out' line item much more affordable than at home — most expats find they eat out more often in Turkey than they did in their home country.
Seasonal costs in coastal cities
In Antalya, Alanya, and Fethiye, utility bills spike in summer (air conditioning) and drop significantly in mild winters. Average annual utility bills are lower than Northern Europe despite summer peaks. Water is cheap; electricity is the main variable. Budget €35–70 per month averaged across the year.
Couple vs single — shared efficiencies
Couples benefit from significant cost sharing. Rent, utilities, groceries, and transport all scale at less than 2x for a couple vs a single person. Our calculator uses a 1.4x couple multiplier (with a slightly higher rent multiplier). In practice, couples in Turkey often find their combined per-person cost is lower than a single person's budget.
Dig deeper
More tools and city guides.
FAQ
Monthly budget questions — answered.
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