Experience in Istanbul, Turkey by Fozeu

What is it like to live in Istanbul? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Istanbul is very beautiful. It is not easy to live there because of the surface area and population there. It is very crowded and confusing especially if you have to move from one part that is the European part to the Asian part and vise versa. Without withstanding they have a wide range of public transportation means available but very confusing anyway. It has many schools and job opportunities especially when you master the basics of the Turkish language. People are always busy and don't really care about who so ever is around. Life is also more expensive than in other towns there.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Istanbul?

Just like other big cities in the world. You go to school, come back, have something to eat, if you don't eat in school. There are plenty of other exchange students to make friends. You can get a job either through searching on the internet or through relationships.

How much does it cost to live in Istanbul?

They have their currency which is the Turkish lira. 1€ ~ 3. 3TL and 1$ ~ 2. 98TL. Per day a regular student can spend up to 20TL. If you have transportation cards already like the metro, bus, tram, train, boat and many others.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Istanbul? Is there any advice you can give?

Accommodation in Istanbul is quite a deal. There are plenty of apartments for students available. Luxurious ones are very expensive talking about 2500TL or more monthly and also cheaper ones between 500 to 1500 TL a month. The best thing to do is to get an apartment with a friend or more so that you may share the rent and bills. There are also quite a number of dormitories that are quite cheaper like 200 to 1000TL monthly.

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

They have a wide range of meals here quite a lot. In terms of gastronomy, they are up to the task. The food is very I mean very cheap here. As favorite dishes here I like "kori soslu ve tavuk ve pilav" that is kori sauce with chicken and rice.

What places would you recommend visiting in Istanbul?

A lot of places here are available for visiting. Already it is a touristic town with good archietecture. There are places like the historical mosque, big boats around the sea beaches, amazing malls and many others. There are so many places.

Is it good to eat out in Istanbul? Can you tell us your favorite spots?

Restaurants and cafes make a variety of dishes at very good prices. I can't name them but rest assured at every 25 to 100m you will see a cafe or restaurant.

Is the nightlife good in Istanbul? Where is good to go?

There are many nightclubs and lounge in Istanbul for partying and alcohol. For those interested, they have many spots for hoes. Especially in nightclubs. Alcohol not only in Istanbul but in Turkey as a whole is very expensive

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What advice would you give future students heading to Istanbul?

I really don't know what to say but just to get prepared financially for no undesired surprise and to be calm for Turkish people are very welcoming.