Make it a trip · Istanbul, Turkey
What Istanbul costs
once you land
Real prices, from the airport ride to a room for the night, each with where we found it. Checked October 2026, around Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu.
Prices as the source quoted them.
Half a villa or 4-star room, two meals out, a coffee, two beers and the signature experience.
Arriving
-
Visa free for 90 days Fixed
For GB, US, CA passports.
Up to 90 days in any 180 with an ordinary passport. No e-Visa needed.
Source: Kusadasi.biz, Turkey visa guide 2026 (2026-08)
Free -
Havaist bus from Istanbul Airport to the old city Fixed
About 90 minutes, paid with an Istanbulkart. Check the app: the Sultanahmet line has been suspended at times, with the Aksaray line instead.
Source: Havaist blog (2026-07)
-
Visa free since April 2026 Fixed
For AU passports.
Turkey dropped the e-Visa for Australian passports on 17 April 2026. Up to 90 days in any 180.
Source: Kusadasi.biz, Turkey visa guide 2026 (2026-08)
Free
Getting around
-
Tram, metro or ferry ride Many reports
Tap an Istanbulkart. Transfers within two hours are discounted.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺44
Eating and drinking
-
Meal at a cheap local place Many reports
Kebab, pide or a lokanta canteen plate. Prices change fast with inflation.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺600 -
₺460
-
Dinner for two, three courses Many reports
A mid-range restaurant, without drinks.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺2,700 -
₺216
-
Efes on tap, half a litre Many reports
Alcohol is taxed heavily; Kadıköy bars are cheaper than Beyoğlu.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺230
At the supermarket
-
Water, 1.5 litres Many reports
Drink bottled water. Buy it at a bakkal corner shop, not a café.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺28 -
₺87
-
Efes, half a litre, to take away Many reports
Shops stop selling alcohol at 10pm.
Source: Numbeo, Istanbul (2026-10)
₺120
Doing
-
Hagia Sophia, foreign visitor Fixed
Upper gallery entry. Rising to €30 on 1 January 2027. Not covered by the Museum Pass.
Sources: Hagia Sophia, entrance fee (2026), Wego, Hagia Sophia visitor guide (2026)
€25 Get tickets -
Turkish hamam, from Range
A traditional bath with scrub and foam wash usually costs ₺1,500 to 3,500 depending on the treatment.
Source: The Better Vacation, Istanbul trip cost (2026)
₺1,500 Get tickets -
Bosphorus cruise Range
A sightseeing cruise. The public ferry to Kadıköy or Üsküdar gives the same views for the price of a transit ride.
Source: Istanbul Tourist Pass, trip cost analysis (2026-05)
₺650 Book the tour
Sleeping, per night
-
Hostel dorm bed, from Range
Usually ₺700 to 1,200 in Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu.
Source: The Better Vacation, Istanbul trip cost (2026)
₺700 Find a hostel -
Three or four-star hotel, from Range
Usually ₺3,000 to 7,000. Prices have more than doubled since 2021.
Source: The Better Vacation, Istanbul trip cost (2026)
₺3,000 Find a hotel
Prices change. Fixed fees come from official or widely reported figures; ranges are what travellers and operators report for 2026. Some links are affiliate links: they never change what you pay. How we make money.
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