Moving to Turkey in 2022. How much it costs to live there
Our subscribers and those who are thinking of moving to Turkey for permanent residence in 2022 keep asking us lots of questions.
For example, how much is the rent for an apartment going to be? How costly is living in Turkey?
What are the prices for food in supermarkets, for vegetables and fruit in the markets? What is public transport fare?
How much are utilities like electricity, water and gas bills? What are the prices for gasoline and mobile phone services?
How much does it cost to complete the necessary documents such as a residence permit in Turkey and medical insurance? These are all important components of moving to Turkey, and in this article we want to tell you about them in detail!
Let’s take a look at the current situation in Turkey, how prices have changed since the beginning of 2022, and how much it costs to live here now!
The rental payments in Turkey
Of course, the ideal option is to buy a property in Turkey, which will save you from high monthly rentals.
However, if this is not possible, then you will need a rented apartment or house. And it is now not cheap because of the growing demand for housing.
For example, let’s take a family consisting of 3 people who are going to rent a three-room apartment (or like in Turkey they call such an apartment 2+1) in a popular Turkish city of Antalya.
The minimum cost of such an apartment in 2022, with furniture, in good areas of Antalya (Konyaalti or Lara) comes to 15,000 Turkish liras per month from the start provided that we are talking about the rent for a year. In terms of US dollars, it will be $895. And bear in mind, this is the minimum cost!
We will make all calculations further in this article based on the rate of US dollar to Turkish lira of 16.75.
If you want to reduce the rent cost and choose a smaller apartment 1+1 in good areas of Antalya, the minimum cost comes to about 8,000 Turkish liras per month, which is 478 US dollars.
Of course, if you are not ready to spend such money on renting an apartment as these amounts seem quite high, you can find a place to live somewhere farther from the sea and it will cost you less.
So, you need to pay this total amount at once in 3 parts: 15,000 Turkish lira monthly fee + 15,000 Turkish lira deposit (it will be returned to you at the end of the rent period) + 15,000 Turkish lira realtor commission.
To sum up, you will have to pay 2,685 US dollars in total for the rent at once. Sometimes, the apartment owners can demand for a double deposit, please, bear it in mind!
In addition, you may need to get water and electricity meters registered under your name. It will cost you another 1,000 Turkish liras, which is 60 US dollars today.
In total, you spend 2,745 US dollars on renting in the first month, and then the rent of 895 US dollars is spent monthly on an apartment 2+1 and about 300 Turkish liras (which is a bit less than 20 US dollars) is a monthly payment for the residence complex.
To make calculations of all expenditures on living in Antalya, we take an example of one of the clients of the company Tolerance. Her name is Helena and she moved to permanent residence in Turkey not so long ago. We talked to her about how she finds her life in Turkey.
Here is her story:
– My story is very simple. Everything began with our vacation in Turkey. We often came here for recreation and we just fell in love with the local beauty. Whenever we were on vacation here, we got a feeling that we were somewhere in the countryside of our home country. We did not feel homesick at all.
The idea of moving to live in Turkey, being close to the Mediterranean Sea and enjoying a happy life, kept visiting my mind. But I tried not to think of that too much, I kind of forbade dreaming of taking such a step. I believed that it would be impossible to do, that it would be too difficult.
One day I woke up and it dawned on me that we had the right to change our life for the better! I sensed that we had to make an attempt to live there, we could not lose our time. If you don’t try, you won’t know whether it is for you or not! So, I asked myself: What if my dream comes true, what if everything turns out well and a new happy life awaits us in a new country?
Then everything started to develop in the way suitable for us and luckily I came across the company Tolerance! I wrote to them, and I got a prompt response. They offered a big choice of different apartments, which were at prices reasonable for me.
I bought a flight ticket and came to Turkey. I arrived in Antalya and got acquainted with this city. I made up my mind to take a risk and here we are! I am absolutely happy here!
Availability of life in Turkey
Helena thinks that life in Turkey used to be cheaper and more financially available. Now prices have gone up. But, on the whole, shopping in the store or market is not as expensive as in Russia, for example, at least for our family. Whenever we leave the market with loaded shopping bags, we are still surprised how much we have bought and we haven’t spent all our money! Shopping in the market is a bargain!
Helena thinks that even though living in Turkey has become more expensive, it is still financially available for an average family. The salary which Helena gets from Russia is quite enough to buy food and consumer goods.
For example, residential rental payment is very moderate and favorable, in contrast with her hometown. Utilities or 'aidat' in the residence complex where Helena lives is 50 Turkish liras.
Water and electricity bills are not high. In the winter, for example, the electricity bill was 1000 Turkish liras, in the summer (June) it was 200 Turkish liras. The water bill is about 180 Turkish liras per month. Everyone can change these amounts to the US dollar rate and see the average utilities expenditure.
On average, we spend 1000 Turkish liras per month on buying fruit as well as about 4000 Turkish liras on food. If you don’t want to cook at home much and prefer eating out, it will be a bit more expensive!
To sum up, we can give the following calculations: a monthly electricity bill in February or March is 1000 Turkish liras and 200 Turkish liras for April or May. The water bill is 200 Turkish liras per month. The natural gas (a domestic gas tank) costs 315 Turkish liras and this gas lasts for 2 months.
The little renovation expenses in an apartment are about 200 Turkish liras. In total, you spend 1,715 Turkish liras per month, which is today 102 US dollars in the wintertime, and 915 Turkish liras, which is 55 US dollars in the spring or autumn, when the electricity usage goes down because days are longer.
The cost of recreation
To take a break from working week days, Helena and her family go to the beach to sunbathe and swim.
– Of course, we want to relax comfortably. We go to the beach by taxi. It is much easier to get to the beach in a taxi from the area where we live. The taxi usually costs 100 Turkish liras in one way. If we want to rent lounge chairs, it will cost us about 75 Turkish liras per one.
In general, beaches are free. You can buy beach mats and a beach umbrella to take with you whenever you go to the beach. It is totally up to you to decide whether you want to go to the free beach or you want to spend some money on the comfort in the charged one.
If you want to have a meal in a cafe, it will cost you another 200 Turkish liras. Totally, you spend about 600-700 Turkish liras on a good day. If your budget is limited, you can go to the beach just to sunbathe and swim and I think it will cost you 200 Turkish liras (transport fare).
Transport fare
You pay 6.75 Turkish liras for a bus or tram in one way. So, you can spend 130 Turkish liras per month on transport provided that you go to downtown, large shopping malls or the beach at least 10 times a month.
And if we reckon that you can take a taxi a couple of times a month as an emergency, it will cost you another 150 Turkish liras. In total, the transport expenses are 280 Turkish liras, which is 17 US dollars per month.
School expenses
If a child goes to the state kindergarten, it costs the family 600 Turkish liras per month. And the family pays this money for their child to stay in the kindergarten half-day. The price for a private kindergarten starts from 2,500 Turkish liras and the family pays this money for their child to stay in a private kindergarten full day. As you see, prices are different: 36 US dollars and 150 US dollars.
To learn more about kindergarten in Turkey, the difference between state and private kindergartens you can read here.
If a child goes to school, a private school can be at least 4,000 Turkish liras per month (which is currently 238 US dollars). Of course, everything depends on the type of the school, its level and teaching and learning standards.
A public school is free of charge but you need to know that children have to bring lunch boxes to school. Or you can give some money to them to buy a piece of toast and juice in the school cafeteria.
You may also need a transportation service to take your children to school or kindergarten and back home if these institutions are far away from your house. This service will cost you another 700 Turkish liras per month (or 42 US dollars at the moment).
You can find more information about different types of school in Turkey here.
The cost of an hour Turkish class with a tutor is 150 Turkish liras or 9 US dollars, and it comes to 72 US dollars per month provided that you take two classes a week.
Costs of clothing and food products in Turkey
With the change of the season, most people try to renew things they want to wear. This is what Helena says:
– It is true that I always have a desire to buy something new when one season changes another. I have two daughters. And I believe that families always spend more money on girls. Whenever we go shopping for clothes, we spend 1,000 Turkish liras and more.
– I am very pleased with the quality of clothes in Turkey! To tell the truth, when we came on vacation to Turkey, we always did the good shopping because the prices for clothes and their quality simply amazed us. There is always a good chance of finding something nice at a reasonable price. I must admit that the prices have remained practically unchanged.
– What food products do I really like? I am very happy that we can eat fresh strawberries almost all year round. In Turkey the quality of food is different: all food is fresh, natural and available in abundance. You can go either to the supermarket or farm market and buy what you want at really nice prices. I believe most people are aware of that!
Until now Turkey was famous for cheap food and clothing of good quality, but in 2022 prices have gone up a lot and now, if we calculate the prices in US dollars, people have to spend twice as little as they used to.
Fruit and vegetables in the farm market have prices different from those which are sold in the shops but in comparison with other countries they seem cheaper. Although we can't say the same about meat and fish, which cost on average 100 Turkish liras per kilo. It is 6 US dollars.
The average price for vegetables varies but as a rule it is 1 US dollar per kilo for tomatoes and cucumbers. Potatoes, carrots and onions cost cheaper, of course.
The average price for fruit such as sweet cherry or strawberries is about 2 US dollars per kilo. Seasonal fruit and vegetables cost less, which is an additional help to your budget.
The situation with clothing looks a bit better. You don’t need to buy many expensive warm clothes and boots any longer! Of course, if you choose to live on the Mediterranean coast in Antalya.
And it is a part of your practical economy! Light summer clothes and shoes are very inexpensive because Turkey is one of the largest producers of textile. So, you can be sure that you will avoid big expenses on clothing and footwear.
Thus, you have expenses on food in the farm market or supermarket. Monthly expenses on fruit and vegetables from the farm market are 600 Turkish liras. Expenses on food products from the supermarket are 4,000 Turkish liras, clothing and footwear come to 1,000 Turkish liras. In total, you can spend 5,600 Turkish liras or 334 US dollars in a month.
Let’s consider the fact that one of the family members goes to the gym. It will cost 400 Turkish liras per month. Let’s add the cost of one visit to the doctor’s and it will be another 250 Turkish liras. Don’t forget the expenses on regularly taken medicines and vitamins, which come to 300 Turkish liras. By the way, medicines in Turkey are of good quality and they are produced due to European standards.
Medical insurance
When you get a residence permit done, the medical insurance is taken out. The amount of the medical insurance used to be 200-300 Turkish liras and that kind of medical insurance covered little.
At present a new type of medical insurance costs about 3,000 Turkish liras per adult and 2,000 Turkish liras per child. And you can go to the hospital and get necessary health care under this medical insurance.
Any foreigner who has a residence permit can get a health and social insurance done. This type of insurance is called SGK and it allows you and your family members to be treated in Turkish state hospitals.
You also can buy medicines necessary for your treatment at reduced prices under this kind of insurance. The insurance SGK in 2022 will cost you about 1,476 Turkish liras.
Of course, it is up to you to include SGK into your must-have list as most foreigners who live in Turkey don’t do that. In this case, your budget will definitely be lower, but, to my mind, it is better to keep it on the list as health is very important!
In total, expenses on health and medicine equal 2,426 Turkish liras, which is 144 US dollars.
Here is a recommendation from Helena for those who are thinking of moving but haven’t made up their minds yet:
– My recommendation is to listen to your heart and go for what you like and want. You should do what you like and shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks! I think one should try. You can always come back to the way of living you are used to. But time goes by fast and you can simply miss the moment to become happier.
Conclusions
For a family of 3 people, excluding renting apartments in Antalya, monthly expenses will be about 11,895 Turkish liras or 710 US dollars or 750 US dollars per month with a margin.
Let me remind you that this amount includes SGK medical and social insurance for the whole family. Without SGK, the budget will decrease by about $90.
Please remember that this calculation does not include property rentals and car ownership and its servicing, for example. I will say it again that the US dollar exchange rate at the time of recording this video is 16.75 Turkish liras per $1.
What kind of expenses will be, for example, for a family of four with two children of school age, and, for example, the family also has a car and pets.
We add to our calculation the cost of two children, additional expenses on extra activity clubs, sports clubs, public school, stationery goods as well as the cost of maintaining a car with servicing, insurance, gasoline and taxes.
The expenses for such a family will be no less than 15,000 Turkish lira per month, or at current exchange rate it is 895 US dollars. And this is the minimum.
If you stand a chance to spend 1,000 US dollars per month and you are a family of 4 people, then you can feel quite comfortable with no unexpected expenses and be able to spend money on extra purchases and entertainment.
Choosing Turkey for immigration, you can always really save up some money by living in a warm climate and having fresh fruits and vegetables on your table almost all year round. Let winter stay in your memory!
You can see our real estate offers in Antalya on our website www.tolerance-homes.com or just contact us by WhatsApp on +90 532 158 42 44.
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