Surprising Truths About Living in Istanbul on $800 a Month

In today's video we visit reveal surprising truths about living in Istanbul on $800 a month. We meet up with Christine an American Expat currently living in Istanbul Turkey. The city of Istanbul is a bustling city of 17,000,000, that offers a great quality of life. The average US Retiree on Social Security receives $1,550 a month, and a couple on Social Security receives over $2,500 a month. Christine spends less than $800 a month for utilities, insurance, groceries and rent for a decent small home. A US Expat or Retiree living on Social Security can expect a great standard of living in Turkey when compared to the living costs in the US.
Currently Turkey is a tremendous value for Expats with income from abroad, the exchange rate when this vide was made was 14.2 Turkish Lira to the US Dollar.
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We began our retirement in March of 2020 with the intent to travel the world, spending 1-3 months in a country or location. We want to see what it's like to live there and not simply visit, and we want to share these experiences and the costs with whoever wishes to follow along.
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[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Please visit our website www.WarrenJulieTravel.com For information on International Medical Insurance, our Amazon store, services we recommend, contact information and more.

[@slocad11]

Hey, So nice to see you meet up with Christine. She is (at today`s exchange rate) paying $176 for rent! Cihangir is a good place to stay- so many cafes, small shops and a really pleasant neighborhood feel with scooters up and down the streets, laundry hanging on lines, people-watching over tea, and it is welcoming for foreign guests.

[@unknown-user]

Please keep these videos coming as long as you’re still in Turkey. I’m closely watching the Turkish situation and highly interested in moving over there. I hope the currency stabilizes, a favorable exchange rate is only as good as price stability!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

So true, I’m feeling for the regular people here. We don’t haggle on prices with merchants at this point.

[@elterrifico9522]

Warren: ‘now Julie, I’ll do the interview while you sit there quietly looking cute as a bug’s ear.’ And finally some cat shots. Gold!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Lol, we actually made sure to include the cat for you. 😂

[@elterrifico9522]

As I’m getting clobbered on PDI:NYSE it’s the least you can do 🤪

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

@@elterrifico9522 😁

[@LondonisAmazing]

Kristine is such a great hostess! This was a great video.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks, she’s a lovely person 😁

[@oswaldC2243]

Thanks for sharing video, Istanbul, looks very lovely. I’ll visit sometime in the near future. Thanks again for sharing this innovative video. Happy holidays.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks so much for your comment, we appreciate it. 😁😁

[@mrsm6182]

Love this video really useful! Xx

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks 😊

[@mentorinspired]

Istanbul has been on my travel list since University. Can't wait.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Go, you’ll have a great time.

[@rangraj693]

Great vlog Warren and Julie 👍👍 keep show alive .. 😀😀

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks 😊 we appreciate you. 😁😁

[@leplane_]

For $300 for an expat, this is a very nice apartment! In the US, not even a room would go for that price (at least not in safe areas). On a side note. The cat was about to wage war against the dogs. Hence why they were acting as if sleeping. 😆

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

True on the cost. That’s funny about the cats and dogs. 😂

[@JuneK618]

Another excellent interview. I love how open, informative and inviting all the expats. I’m always blown away by the significant contrast living abroad vs the US. I mean $250 wont even cover renting a closet here in NYC. Haha Christine seems like a very lovely woman. I like that she travels with her cats as well. Keep up the great work guys. As always, your channel has become my go-to every time I think of places to move in the future.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks so much for your compliments ♥️ we are glad you liked the videos. 😁

[@laurayale369]

Great guest in Christine.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks we are glad you you liked her. 😁

[@a..7773]

Epic videos

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks 😊

[@lazymaniac5511]

I'm 100% sure that she messed up when she said $100 a week on groceries...there is no way she can spend that much. Not possible in Turkey

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Probably, the exchange rate has been crazy. She is paid in TL so it may have been closer to that in the past, and adding in all shopping and one offs. It 16.5 to the dollar now and was 14 when I edited. We can’t seem to keep up with the quick changes in the rates. We are not sure when this will level off.

[@Somali1971]

Probably she meant 100 lira but hey Americans they eat too much that's why.

[@ricardotuazon3392]

Great interview with Christine esp sharing her rental information with u guys. I’m so surprise the rent she’s paying for 1 br in Sisli. How did she find the place? Is it thru a broker? I’ve been to Istanbul 3x going back there nxt month. Darren do u still hav contact with Christine I want to know how she got her apt bcause I plan to apply for residency sometime nxt year. I’m retired too from USA. I love Turkey people are so friendly plus foods great.

[@JuneK618]

I’m interested as well. More than likely she probably went through a broker.

[@kellyname5733]

Great video. Suggestion..slow down with your camera/phone especially when you pan an area.

[@cfonde]

A lot of good info,...but since Christine has lived in Ecuador, Belarus, and now Istanbul, Turkey, it would have been nice to get her contrasted opinion on the differences of living in each country, and why she chose to settle in Istanbul.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

She’s only in Istanbul temporarily, on a two year contract. Doing a contrast on countries almost requires another video to be honest. We may do something like this eventually from our own experiences however.

[@jgm3620]

I saw your dog is proud to be from Montenegro 😀. Great comment about local contract job. If you have a devaluation of the money, it can make a big difference of your income in your home country. You still have to pay your taxes and the cost of maintaining your home abroad and saving for your retirement. Your salary,very often, does not follow the real inflation rate

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks, all very true. Arya says hello 🐕♥️🇲🇪

[@sampallottiniiii709]

Hi guys. Have you been to the coast yet and made a video? Interested in Alanya or others near. If so I missed it(them). Thanks for sharing your life.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We will be heading to Antalya for a six week stay after Christmas. 😁

[@sampallottiniiii709]

@@WarrenJulieTravel I guess I'll wait and see. Merry Christmas. Looking forward to "OUR" stay.😁

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

@@sampallottiniiii709 thanks 😊

[@tiffanyphillips4521]

I love your videos! ❤ Thanks so much for sharing. My husband and I are in the process of doing the same. I am having a major hurdle of getting rid of everything! I love my "stuff" and it seems like an impossible feat to downsize to nearly nothing. Do you have any guidance or examples of what you went through, or how you did it? Thank you!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

This was a very hard process for me to deal with, Julie had no problem with getting rid of things I would consider sentimental. Find the stuff that’s most important and see if you can put it with family or in storage. Take photographs of all of the things that are important as far as Momentos, save pictures or upload pictures. We have several boxes stored at Julie’s parents and my son is caring for a few family heirlooms. It’s tough to separate from things, but realize your letting your past limit your future. When we die as we all do most of your stuff will be worthless and sold off or disposed of anyway.

[@jgm3620]

@@WarrenJulieTravel You are right Warren the most important thing is the family. We saw in our life lot of people who resart their life with nothing because the had to escape from political tirany. You have so many options in life. Objects must not be the priority

[@robertl2227]

Ive been purging for about 6 months and it does get easier. Reading books by Marie Kondo and others helps.

[@maximac222]

Same! Wondering how you're faring at this point as I'm reading this 7 months later.

[@comrade916]

What a kind lady to allow us to see this apartment. It's very small, but the cost is also only 225 dollars...I'm looking for an ideal place to retire in a few years. I'm leaning towards Portugal, since I hold an E.U. passport and it's easy to permanently reside there..

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

I’ve heard good things about Portugal, we chose to base ourselves outside of the EU and Schengen specifically. We had Expat friends in Montenegro that left Portugal tell us, Portugal’s cheap if you’re from California but they were from Arizona, and they felt it was more expensive than they expected. Of course visit before committing yourself. Thanks for watching 😁

[@DubCmusicTV]

@@WarrenJulieTravel agree. Lisboa and Porto rents in a decent area would at least cost 600 euros and the spending is certainly higher than Istanbul's. Both cities are old and the real perk would just be a high English speaking standard along with warmer weather. Istanbul, you'll be fine with a 1k USD monthly salary but in those two cities, you would need at least 1500 to be comfortable.

[@comrade916]

@@DubCmusicTV Yes, Portugal is not the inexpensive place it once was.. I remember visiting the area around Cascais back in the mid 1980's. It was wonderful and very affordable.. Now, a decent, two bedroom will cost 300,000 dollars. There still are other smaller cities in Portugal where one can find a nice place for around 200,000 dollars.. Still far more than Turkey, but it is what it is.. Ultimately, I'm looking for a permanent place to reside where I can assimilate and grow old (and die.) I'm not sure, I could ever feel completely at home in Turkey. The culture and religion are so different.. Listening to the call to prayer from loudspeakers during Ramadan would drive me crazy!

[@DubCmusicTV]

@@comrade916 Cascais is one of the more expensive areas around Lisbon and in Portugal and yes, it would be more than 300k USD. 150k apartment in Istanbul would be more rewarding than say... 150k apartment in Napoli. Both would be an average neighborhood and size. Where are you from in EU? The morning prayers got me every morning when I was there. If you like Portugal, ocean view, sun, and lower population density and you also drive, I would say, have a look in the Figueira da Foz area. The prices should be around half of those in Porto and Lisbon. If you have the money, you can have two properties in that area and rent one away to give you steady income while taking care of the property. It will give you something to do in retirement and you're an English speaker. It's a cheaper alternative to the Algarve region.

[@comrade916]

@@DubCmusicTV Originally from The Netherlands. I will be taking a look at Figueira da Foz. At the present, I am scheduled to visit Portugal at the end of January.

[@nellymellot8401]

Hello I want to go to turkey and stay a list one year. I’m a retired nurse but I think Istanbul is more expensive than the surrender city’s like Izmir, Antalya or bursa, but definitely cheaper than the state. I live in California and looking forward to go to turkey hopefully this year. Thank you very much for sharing this information very helpful.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks, we are glad you’re enjoying the information. Please watch more of our content to help with current information. Hope you enjoy your trip.

[@mmamommamo6152]

Hi. Very informative video. Can you please next time write the name of the area ( where Christine live) so people can use that info to find condos. And plz speak about house agency's where expats can find flats(places to live).thanks for a nice video

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

The neighborhood is Sisli

[@divergirl8296]

I've just discovered your channel so maybe you've already done this but, I think a great idea for a video would be the steps/process to be able to bring your pet over seas with you.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We have done a few of them. I have also written a blog on the process:) Thanks for watching.

[@fredost1504]

Today the Lira is at 17.92 to 1 USD so its even better for expats...but probably not so much for the locals.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

That is very true. Inflation is extremely high throughout the world now.

[@hongisland3016]

Good in depth interview. Looks like a great apartment. Is there a gym for any place between 200 to 350 dollars range?

[@koraydrmokokootru3789]

best gyms are 20-30 dollars for 1 month

[@kayacenk4164]

best gyms in best malls around 20-30 dolar for 1 month.

[@robbydad4321]

Since you brought up bringing pets abroad, can you give a comprehensive video on the procedures? We have always wanted to do this but do not know where to begin.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Sorry for the delay, are you asking for Turkey specifically, or elsewhere? Different countries have different requirements, once in Europe you can get your per an EU passport which eliminates the red tape crossing borders throughout Europe. We got our dogs EU passports when visiting Bulgaria. Serbia had the easiest requirements for bringing a dog into Europe. We are driving right now or I’d try and find the link, but the USDA APHIS website has most requirements, also pet travel.com is helpful.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Pettravel.com spell check auto corrected.

[@robbydad4321]

Yes, since we do a lot of traveling too, I was asking about pet traveling in general.

[@survivingmylife442]

can you plz do egypt

[@220volt74]

Is that a Porsche hoodie? Can't tell.

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Good eyesight, I bought the pants and hoodie at the Grand Bazaar for about $20.00.

[@tinglestingles]

Thank you. I know you tend to use Airbnb. From our recent experience I would say is that the price of an Airbnb may NOT be equal to the quality received! How do you handle the speed (or lack of speed of internet) - do you contact the owner first and ask for a screenshot etc? We had our 'moving day' yesterday and hit 13MB download and 0.7 upload in the current apartment... of course we're told... "no one else has complained and that's just the neighbourhood" ... AND photos can lie! I'm normally such a happy Englishman (well apart from moaning about the weather!).

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We currently have 11 download and .6 upload speed. We went to a cafe to upload yesterday’s video. We had no internet for several days due to line island the weather. We complained and got it fixed to this speed. 😔 We are just going to get by the next 10 days and hope for better next stop. We always ask before booking, and look for reviews, but it’s not foolproof.

[@tinglestingles]

@@WarrenJulieTravel ​ Understood - I normally try to find a co-working space but... here is mainly tourists in the summer (no coworking space nearby) PLUS I do online coaching, so it's difficult when the cafe or bar owner has 1970s disco music! Interesting experience yesterday!

[@sbkpilot1]

Airbnbs are about $600-700/month.. Bodrum was crazy expensive last time I checked

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

You’ll normally see an Airbnb rent at 3x the local average monthly rent of a long term for a monthly stay.

[@Somali1971]

They ripped off you there is no way that much Airbnb in Turkey

[@alisoncanty1894]

This must be a God thing that I saw this video because I am currently about to go through a course in the US to teach English in Istanbul and to bring my cat with me next year. I am single and live in Texas right now but used to live in California. My concern has been how much I would make at a school because I know salaries are not high. I am looking at May or June when I move there. I wonder if she’s being paid in lira or dollars? Thank you so much for this!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

She’s paid in Lira, if you are on Facebook join our group, I can put you in contact with her there.

[@alisoncanty1894]

Thanks so much!! What group is it called?

[@graceg8834]

🙌😊

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks 😊

[@kw9494]

Due to the rapid deterioration of the exchange rate, I heard on other videos, that some tax drivers, restaurants and hotels are demanding payment in USD or Euro. Are you facing the issue ?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We have not had that issue, we pay everything in TL here, we have seen some price increases though. Menus with stickers over the price with a new price scribbled in for example. Our dollar has doubled approximately, but inflation seems to be about 20% so we are out pacing inflation quite a bit. Foreign items of course will be much more costly than local items. Nobody has asked for € or $, I’m thinking maybe if it’s an online hotel or Airbnb with a reservation in the future it may make sense for them to do this though, or they could be giving the room away depending how things continue to unfold.

[@kw9494]

@@WarrenJulieTravel Thanks for your update...

[@basithullahkhan4702]

This might occur otherwise businesses will go belly up..!

[@rogermichaelwillis6425]

I live on the Asian side of Istanbul and eat out just about every night. I have never been asked to pay in USD.

[@Bo-tz4nw]

Nice city, here only selfies....

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Watch our other videos and upcoming

[@sabrinaliu66]

how did you guys manage to travel arund the world with the dogs?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Here’s a video we recently made on the topic: International Travel with Pets - We Travel the World Fulltime with Our Two Dogs. (Expats & Nomads) kzbin.info/www/bejne/poq5lWyebbWalZI

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Here’s a video we recently made on the topic: International Travel with Pets - We Travel the World Fulltime with Our Two Dogs. (Expats & Nomads) kzbin.info/www/bejne/poq5lWyebbWalZI

[@jodywhitehead9173]

What does her job pay in Lira, and, how difficult was it to get a work visa?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

We never ask guests what they are paid or about their financial holdings. We show how much it costs to live their lifestyle. Most our guests would not like these parts of their lives disclosed. Sorry… I’m sure you understand.

[@jodywhitehead9173]

@@WarrenJulieTravel I appreciate that. I asked to see how practical it would be to consider teaching English to supplement my small pension. Specializing in English for science majors wishing to attend Western Universities.

[@Ilyasdawah]

Grocery a bit high 400$ a month

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

She does not spare expense on her food. A person can eat for less per month. It depends on the foods chosen.

[@fthcnt1884]

Update: 10.000 TL = 860 USD now!

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

It’s come back down a lot. 2000 TL cost $178 yesterday it cost $116 on the 21st when I withdrew

[@fthcnt1884]

@@WarrenJulieTravel yes now ! 10000 = 935 usd this so exhausting :)

[@alisoncanty1894]

What is your Facebook group called?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Warren & Julie travel with us

[@richardcartier6193]

You don't respond to my questions?

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

This is your second time saying this and I asked what question are you asking, and your first comment on repos I answered. Maybe you don’t know how to see your replies.

[@1903ibo]

if you want subscription make a video for Turkish people .Turkish internet user more than any other country like 90 percent of twitters user 25 percent of Turkish or 25 percent of face book user is Turkish make a videos for Turkish watcher you'll be sky rocket

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Thanks for the information, our channel is geared towards people who are thinking of moving to a new country or traveling. Hopefully Turkish people will find value in what we share about their country as well as other countries. 😁

[@badman2130]

What about political instability with all the currency meltdown? This should taken in consideration. Do you want to wake up in a country with tanks rolling down the streets? Civil war ? Or are just interested in cheap accommodation & cheap food ? If you are , Bulgaria ia a much better option...

[@WarrenJulieTravel]

Honestly, I don’t see anything like that materializing. We’ve through much of Western and Southern Turkey these past seven weeks, and there are no signs of such developments. On the flip side, I think the Turks think that’s more likely in the US than Turkey from the news.