Living in Turkey: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Turkey? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Turkey.

Work out my budget in Turkey

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Istanbul, they would need about ₺51,000 (≈ €920) net a month locally (−77%), i.e. 1.8 times the minimum wage.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about ₺95,000 (≈ €1,710) net a month in Istanbul, i.e. 3.4 times the minimum wage.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Turkey

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house	1 bedroom in euros
Istanbul	₺13,600	₺21,800	₺31,500	₺46,000	€390
Ankara	₺7,140	₺11,500	₺16,600	₺24,200	€210
Izmir	₺8,430	₺13,500	₺19,600	₺28,600	€240
Antalya	₺7,850	₺12,600	₺18,200	₺26,600	€230
Bursa	₺6,070	₺9,760	₺14,100	₺20,600	€180
Muğla	₺10,200	₺16,400	₺23,600	₺34,500	€290
Mersin	₺5,610	₺9,020	₺13,000	₺19,000	€160
Eskişehir	₺6,030	₺9,690	₺14,000	₺20,500	€170

Monthly rent in TRY, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT), rents per m² of homes appraised by banks, April-June 2026, by province, updated with the new tenant rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The minimum wage is ₺28,100 (≈ €500) net a month (₺33,000 gross).

Healthcare

With a job, public health insurance is deducted from the salary. Without a job, private insurance in the first year, then public insurance (TRY 1,981.80 a month in 2026).

In the example above: with a job, public health insurance is deducted from your salary: nothing more to pay.

Visa and residence permit

With a job, the employer applies for the work permit, which serves as a residence permit. Otherwise, apply online for a residence permit with the Presidency of Migration Management.

Cost: ₺13,500 (≈ €240) per adult.

One-year work permit, which serves as a residence permit.

To live on income from abroad: the short-term residence permit, with sufficient income and health insurance; for remote work, the digital nomad visa, with at least $3,000 a month, a university degree, aged 21 to 55 and for certain nationalities, including Europeans.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 3 months’ rent
Agency fees: 10% of the yearly rent
School: Free state school
Electricity: ₺3.92 per kWh
Home cleaning: ₺150 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Istanbul?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about ₺51,000 (≈ €920) net a month, i.e. 1.8 times the minimum wage.

How much is rent in Istanbul?

About ₺21,800 (≈ €390) a month for a one-bedroom home and ₺31,500 for a two-bedroom home, according to Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT), rents per m² of homes appraised by banks, April-June 2026, by province, updated with the new tenant rent index.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Turkey?

With a job, the employer applies for the work permit, which serves as a residence permit. Otherwise, apply online for a residence permit with the Presidency of Migration Management. Cost: ₺13,500 (≈ €240) per adult.