Don’t want to be overcharged? Check this out now – The Complete Guide to Restaurant, Shopping, and Transportation Prices in Turkey

When traveling abroad, being unfamiliar with the area can make you vulnerable—especially to dishonest guides or local vendors who may overcharge you. Understanding the local price levels is essential travel information. Straddling Europe and Asia, Istanbul is often the first stop for most visitors to Turkey. “Istanbul Love Travel Diary” has compiled a comprehensive guide to local prices, including must-try Turkish cuisine, shopping, and transportation costs, helping travelers avoid being quoted exorbitant prices.

Istanbul is the first destination for many visitors to Turkey. The Blue Mosque is adorned with over 20,000 İznik blue tiles, and sunlight streaming through the windows illuminates the dome’s blue tiles in serene tranquility. (Photo by Jian Yixin)

Last week, Serdar was “working” near our place, and he asked me to meet him for lunch and go shopping for some personal items. So I filmed this video. It was a cloudy and gloomy day, so the footage looks a bit dark. For those who want to see Kadıköy on a sunny day, check out “Istanbul: How to Explore the Asian Side Kadıköy?”

Then I thought, why not compile some basic price information about Turkey for everyone? Over the weekend, I visited supermarkets near my home like A101, BIM,
^OK, MIGROS, and Carrefour to gather data. This way, friends planning to visit Turkey won’t have to spend all day guessing prices online and can better plan their travel budget and how much USD or EUR to bring for exchanging into Turkish Lira.

Reference prices for restaurants and snacks in Istanbul. (Data source: Istanbul Love Travel Diary, Chart by Jian Yixin)

Basic prices in Turkey, using Istanbul as an example. Prices may vary in other cities—if they’re higher than in Istanbul, beware of possible overcharging by guides or local vendors:

Tea, coffee, and Turkish delight are often sold in 250g and 500g packs at supermarkets. In tourist areas like grand bazaars, they may be priced per 1kg. Higher-quality items will cost more. Nut and dried fruit prices vary by quality—for example, walnuts can be 40 or 60 lira per kilo. Restaurants typically list prices within a common range; seafood or exotic cuisine restaurants charging over 30 lira is normal.

Reference prices for shopping and transportation in Istanbul. (Data source: Istanbul Love Travel Diary, Chart by Jian Yixin)

If you’re looking to buy clothes, popular Turkish brands include LC Waikiki, DeFacto, Koton, Mavi, and Ipekyol. While these are generally affordable and good quality, the first two are not recommended—you can find very cheap items there, but the quality is lower. Koton is mid-range, and I’ve had no issues with their clothing. I recommend Mavi for jeans and Ipekyol for winter wear.

Well-known international brands like H&M, ZARA, and MANGO are similarly priced in Turkey, though discounts in Turkey can sometimes be especially good.

Beauty stores like Sephora, Watsons, and Gratis offer different products and discounts. For example, Maybelline mascara is sold at 390 TWD at Watsons in Taiwan, while Watsons in Turkey once discounted it to 12 lira.

Istanbul offers various modes of transportation. For buses, you can only use the Istanbulkart. To find transfer options and fares for specific routes, refer to the previous article “The Ultimate Istanbul Transportation Planning App.” If it seems complicated, skip straight to the practical section at the end—just enter your departure and destination, and Trafi will help you plan your route and compare all available prices.

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