Living in Istanbul 2023 … real estate, costs and services
Being one of the most important cities of Turkey and the world in terms of its cultural heritage, Istanbul receives millions of visitors every year, many of whom fall in love with the city and some of them return to reside there permanently.
Istanbul is a great place to live if you are looking for cultural diversity, historical richness and vast sea.
Historically and geographically, Istanbul unites Asia and Europe. This helps forge a bond between Eastern and Western cultures and creates a great sense of diversity in the city.
If you are planning to move abroad and a diverse community is what you are looking for, consider Istanbul.
Services in Istanbul
Transportation
Public transportation in Istanbul is mostly safe and works well, and it is many and varied, and it connects all parts of the city to each other, meaning that transportation in Istanbul is easy
A public transport card called Istanbulkart will allow you to use all public transport available in the city: boats, subways, buses, trams and even cable cars.
You can buy the ticket at BiletMatik ticket machines near metro stations, sidewalks and bus stops.
And you can also refill it from the same device
On the other hand, Istanbul has a number of highways, tunnels and bridges that make the movement between its European and Asian sides fast and smooth
Education
There are public schools where the Turkish curriculum is taught and there are various private international schools for international children in Istanbul. Most of them offer the International high school curriculum or country-specific curricula. Although the language of instruction is usually English, these schools are willing to welcome children from different countries.
There are also some schools for specific nationalities living in Istanbul, such as the German school or the French high school.
On the other hand, there are a large number of public and private universities in Istanbul, which provide many opportunities for higher education. Some of the public universities in Istanbul are:
Istanbul University
Galatasaray University
Marmara University
Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Yildiz Technical University
Health Services
There are many hospitals in Istanbul that provide excellent medical care. Most of them are JCI certified and equipped with the latest technology. Internationally trained doctors and nurses cater to residents and visitors alike.
The most preferred hospitals by foreign are:
American Hospital
International Hospital
German Hospital
Acibadem memorial
Florence Nightingale Hospital
These hospitals do not only provide basic examinations and treatments. They also have special units for plastic surgery, organ transplantation or LASIK eye treatments. psychological or nutrition and diet treatment
Living costs in Istanbul
You can live very well in Istanbul for $1000 a month if you are a moderate person.
However, there are no certain limits when it comes to spending your money in Istanbul. If you lead a lavish lifestyle, you may need a lot more
Others can live well with half that amount too, in other words Istanbul offers plenty of opportunities to shape a lifestyle and spend money to suit each person individually.
For expats, a monthly income of $2000 will be enough to enjoy Istanbul in general. For example, renting an apartment in safe and beautiful areas like Besiktas and Sisli starts from 400 dollars (4000 TL) and you can also spend the same amount on food and transportation
Add to this the costs of heating, electricity, water, internet, etc., which may be around $100 in the winter.
Real estate in Istanbul … buying and renting
Rental prices in Istanbul vary greatly depending on the location of your home.
Rents for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center range from 1,000 TL to 2,000 TL.
Advance payments from 6 to 12 months and security deposit are the norm in Istanbul.
In addition, the landlord may ask you to pay the rent in euros or US dollars.
You can also buy a property in Istanbul in the area that suits you and with the specifications and prices you want, as there are many modern residential projects in the city that offer offers that suit everyone, and if you want to obtain Turkish citizenship by buying a property, you need a property worth 400 thousand dollars,
And if you haven't learned the local language yet, you should find a real estate agent to help you find property in Istanbul.
