Istanbul · Middle East

Turkey

Istanbul is the closest big-city university experience to home for many of our students: Muslim culture, Mediterranean climate, ambitious universities, and living costs that a Turkish scholarship can cover entirely. English-taught programs at private foundation universities are the usual route.

Tuition / yr: $2k – $15k
Living / mo: ~$500
Work rights: Graduate students
After study: Case by case
Intakes: September · February
Language: Turkish · English

Why Turkey

Fast-growing universities between two continents.

01 Türkiye Bursları scholarships
02 Low cost of living
03 Istanbul

The honest take

What we tell our own families about Turkey.

Why students love it

Türkiye Bursları scholarship covers tuition, housing and a stipend

Living costs among the lowest of our destinations

Familiar culture, halal food, close to home

Strong medicine, engineering and architecture programs

Istanbul is a global city with cheap flights everywhere

What to plan for

Inflation makes budgeting unpredictable

Turkish is needed for daily life and most public university programs

Post-study work permits are possible but not straightforward

Private university tuition can reach $15,000

Istanbul traffic is legendary; live near campus

Getting around

Leave the car at home.

Istanbul's metro, Marmaray, ferries and buses all run on the Istanbulkart; student cards make fares tiny. Ferries across the Bosphorus are the best commute in the world.

Metro, bus, Marmaray

Student Istanbulkart with heavily discounted fares.

₺ 500–800 / month

Ferries

Kadıköy to Beşiktaş in 20 minutes, with tea.

₺ 15 per ride (student)

Intercity buses and flights

Cheap domestic flights to Izmir, Antalya, Cappadocia.

₺ 800–2,000 per trip

Add Student Istanbulkart monthly to my budgetAbout ₺650 a month

Food & groceries

What a week of eating really costs.

Street food, lokantas and campus canteens make eating out cheaper than cooking in most of Europe. Markets (pazar) sell fruit and vegetables for very little.

Simit and çay

₺ 15 breakfast on the ferry.

Döner and dürüm

The original, ₺ 100 lunch.

Lokanta plate

Home-style stew, rice, salad; the student staple.

Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı)

Weekend feast that lasts two hours.

Build your cart

Supermarket prices in Istanbul, TRY. Quantities per week.

Milk (1 L)₺38
0
—
Bread (loaf)₺20
0
—
Eggs (12)₺95
0
—
Rice (1 kg)₺60
0
—
Chicken breast (1 kg)₺250
0
—
Pasta (500 g)₺40
0
—
Apples (1 kg)₺55
0
—
Bananas (1 kg)₺50
0
—
Tomatoes (1 kg)₺50
0
—
Cheese (500 g)₺260
0
—
Coffee (250 g)₺220
0
—
Yogurt (500 g)₺60
0
—

Your weekly cart

₺0 ≈ $0

Per month

₺0

Eating out

Campus canteen meal₺90
Döner dürüm₺120
Turkish tea₺20
Restaurant dinner₺500

Where to live

Dorm, shared flat or studio: pick one and watch the budget.

KYK state dorms are extremely cheap and go to scholarship students first; private dorms and shared flats in Kadıköy, Beşiktaş or near campus are the common choice. Rents change with inflation; sign in lira and ask for the increase cap.

Where students actually live

Kadıköy
Asian side, cafes, ferries, young.
₺ 11,000–16,000 room
Beşiktaş
European side, nightlife, near several universities.
₺ 12,000–17,000 room
Sarıyer
Boğaziçi and Koç campuses, Bosphorus villages.
₺ 10,000–15,000 room
Başakşehir / Bahçeşehir
Newer districts, many Arab families, cheaper.
₺ 8,000–12,000 room

Before you pay anyone

Sahibinden.com and university housing offices are the main channels
Contracts in lira usually include an annual increase clause; understand it
Deposits of one to two months are standard
Ask for the aidat (building fee), which is paid on top of rent

Student life as an international

Istanbul student life mixes Bosphorus cafes, campus clubs, cheap concerts and weekend trips to the coast.

Large Arab, Iranian and African student communities make settling in easy; Turkish comes quickly.

Free Turkish classes at most universities

Cappadocia, Antalya, Izmir on cheap flights

Halal and Ramadan life without effort

Student discounts on museums, cinemas and transport

Work: Master's and PhD students can work part time with a permit; undergraduate part-time work is restricted. Many students freelance online.
Healthcare: Foreign students can join the national insurance (SGK) for a low monthly fee within three months of registration.
Safety: Safe in student districts; usual big-city awareness.