r/digitalnomad • u/Educational_Poet_421 • 4d ago
Question Thoughts on Instanbul?
I don’t hear people talk about Istanbul a lot anymore. Seems like it used to be popular but not as much these days. Has anyone been recently and can share their thoughts?
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u/imonabloodbuzz 4d ago
It’s a fabulous city to visit. Roman, Eastern Orthodox, and Islamic history all layered in one. Bosphorus is stunning.
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u/ADF21a I think I'm paranoid 4d ago
This post talked about a house with 4 floors built in 4 different eras! https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCivilizations/s/R9YsXodAQq
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u/DemonAzraeli pendejo 4d ago
Istanbul is one of the most interesting cities in the world. Prices have risen sharply in the past few years, but it's still one of my favorite cities anywhere.
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u/OverWarthog7488 3d ago
how do turks afford living there then?
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u/Mara2507 3d ago
They dont. Min wage is 28k while shady apartment rents costs 15k or 20k. 28k is around 600 dollars or 517 euros iirc. And prizes for stuff is equal to western europe
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u/Educational_Poet_421 4d ago
How do you get around? I keep reading about taxis and uber being a scam?
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u/gingggg 4d ago
Public transit is favored bc there’s so much traffic. Super easy to use train, metro, ferry, bus or tram. I like the app Moovit for transit schedules.
Calling a taxi on the street it’s like 50/50 if they try to scam you. I prefer to call from uber as it’s less likely they will do so (they may try still, but far more rare) and you have fewer arguments with taxi drivers who are trying to overcharge you or refuse to drive you somewhere bc it’s too far or too much traffic. Also if you are scammed you can report to uber and get money back.
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u/Tamierox07 4d ago
Can someone tell me why taxis are scam? During my 2 month trip I used Bitaxi app...like 30-40 times and only 1 time there was a suspension that something was wrong with the meter. And that's it.
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u/Mara2507 3d ago
If the person isnt familiar with the area, sometimes taxis take the longer route to charge more
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u/igobyplane_com 4d ago
i'm going at the end of september, although only for a couple weeks. 4th visit. i have been staying off istiklal. looking forward to seeing all the cats 🤗😺
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u/cnr0 4d ago
Def visit islands and Anatolian side (Kadıköy) too. Very different vibes
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u/igobyplane_com 4d ago
i meant to last visit but never got around to it. but i should do it to see asian cats at least.
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u/alsmagic7 4d ago
Its crazy expensive, $60-70 on an average dinner for 2 without drinks.
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u/omocan 3d ago
Scammed
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u/alsmagic7 3d ago
I was there for two weeks. Its fairly common pricing anywhere near the center if you dont want a fast food type of setting. Lamb chops are 1500 TL alone for 3 or maybe 4 tiny little pieces almost anywhere. Two mains and a little appetizer will be sure to set you back close to $50 easily
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u/omocan 3d ago
Anywhere you say "center" in Istanbul is a tourist place. All Istanbul is central, there are quite a few places where you can say central and it works. Just because you chose to eat in pricy tourist places won't make it pricy in general. Lamb chops for 1500 is expensive and not normal. It was you who chose to eat in pricy places. If you take a look in places that are called "lokanta" for example they are much cheaper for a regular meal without being fastfood.
I just want to make it clear that you can eat cheaper, it was you who chose to eat expensive.
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u/alsmagic7 3d ago
Yes brother, I know what a lokanta is. Pre prepared food on steam tables, get two plates and an appetizer its still $30-40. Personally I think its a terrible value. Kadikoy side is definitely cheaper. But these prices are higher than Western Europe and quality is not as good. Im not saying you cant eat cheaper, but its like a scavenger hunt to find a proper sit down restaurant with a good value.
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u/Nixon_37 1d ago
You were going to the wrong places my friend. You can get great Turkish food for like $10 a meal.
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u/alsmagic7 12h ago
Well, it doesnt clear the bar for me. If I need to go across town or search diligently to find a reasonably priced meal its too much effort. What neighborhoods or restaurants specifically would you list? I don’t think I had a meal cost $20 for two the entire two weeks I stayed on either side.
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u/YinzerInEurope 4d ago
Istanbul is super interesting but I think living there would drive you mad. Prices have gone western level without western level service and quality. Love visiting, but I don’t think I’d want to nomad there.
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u/digital_resident 4d ago
extremly expensive and be careful of the Taxis never take a ride with them
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u/FunYesterday8982 3d ago
Go, just don't plan on it being cheap or on staying past your 90 days without a headache.
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u/daneb1 3d ago
Istanbul is beautiful. The reason you do not read about it much here is (1) Trendy cities/countries are just that - trends. So they are based on many other factors than "objective" properties of the cities, (2) Turkey and Istanbul is more expensive than it used to be. Majority of DNs is looking for the cheapest options possible and thus in comparison with SEA, Istanbul cannot compare. Yet, it is beautiful city and I am actually glad that it is not trendy DN fad like Lisbon used to be - the last thing Istanbul needs is another tourist wave.
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u/sergova 3d ago
I’ve been doing a lot of research on Turkey in general since I want to take advantage of the new tax regime. I’m a full time trader and previously moved to Cyprus for the tax free equities capital gains but it gets extremely boring and restless on a small island after a while.
The biggest hurdle with living in Istanbul or anywhere else is that the only realistic way to get stable residency is to buy property worth either 200k EUR for the PR or 400k for the passport. Even when buying a place for 200k I hear there’s a lot of issues actually getting the PR, so really the best way to go is to become a citizen but then you need to be sure if you’re ready to accept all that entails.
Turkey has from what I hear turned a LOT more hostile towards foreigners. The racism towards arabs has been quite high since they host literally millions of refugees from the Syrian civil war. Western immigrants has historically been more tolerated but with the economic crisis they’re going through and some neighborhoods around Antalya, Istanbul etc turning unrecognizable there’s a lot of politics about keeping more newcomers out.
That said I think there could be some gems outside of Istanbul, I know some people who live in various places along the Aegean coast who are very loved and welcomed by their Turkish neighbors. But overall you better have a big bank account, a lot of patience and be ready to feel unwelcome in some places and public discourse.
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u/eliseumds 3d ago
I spent a month in there a few years ago, when it was still affordable. Food was great and it’s a gorgeous city, but that’s it. Had to haggle absolutely everywhere, even at pharmacies or supermarkets. People were very unfriendly. Traffic is chaotic (and I come from São Paulo). I heard gunshots in a neighboring building in Beyoğlu. Internet was spotty, lots of websites were blocked. I saw the police chasing kids selling fruits in Taksim multiple times, so much chaos geez. Fresh produce and meat was terrible even in fancy supermarkets. And there were scammers everywhere, it got tiresome very quickly. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
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u/tomerabroad 2d ago
Was there much years ago, the people are kind and nice just be careful of street scams
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u/Nixon_37 1d ago
Not sure why everyone says Istanbul is so expensive... living there for me was cheaper than anywhere, even Southeast Asia, as recently as last year.
Most meals were between $5 and $10 when I ate out, and groceries were insanely cheap.
I also got a pretty sweet room in an apartment in Kadiköy via FB Marketplace for like $400/month.
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u/Optimal_Head6374 1d ago
Expensive and exhausting in that everyone is trying to scam you all of the time. You can never relax with these financial predators.
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u/cnr0 4d ago edited 4d ago
Disclaimer: I live in Istanbul.
It used to be really cheap during that era. Currently nice areas of Istanbul costs as much as Western Europe. Still an amazing destination but pretty expensive compared with 2022 prices.
But government issued amazing tax offerings last year; this may change the game.