Experience in Istanbul, Turkey by Göktuğ

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

First of all, the city is pretty strict and crowded. I am saying this because it affects many things. starting with traffic. traffic is a really big problme in istanbul so if you want to make to your appointment on time, you may take this fact into consideration.

Second, there are many dangerous streets and neighbourhoods in istanbul. Bağcılar, esenler, fatih etc. you may get robbed or worse, injured. so be careful about where you plan to visit, do a good research about the place and then go.

other than that i can say it is the most beautiful city in Turkey, perhaps the world.

What is the student lifestyle like in Estambul?

you generally spend so much time in public transport or in traffic. if you wanna work and study at the same time it is a long shot because it will tire you a lot. in turkey there are no regulations that looks out for the rights of the student workers. so you should chance overworking.

How much does it cost to live in Estambul?

in 2019, i used to spend 350₺ for my dorm (the dorm belongs to the government so it is cheap but if you want to stay at a private dorm, you may have to pay up to 1500₺ monthly) and 1000₺ for my other expenses. I go out 3 or 4 days a week but i dont do expensive things. the money was enough for me.

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

yes it is. because of it is a pretty crowded city and so many landlords are just trying to sponge on students, very bad houses are out on rent with big prices. But if you are lucky, you can find a dime.

other than that, if you choose a kinda far place from one of the city centres you increase your chance of finding a better house at a better price.

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

my favorite dish is probably chicken doner durum because it is a complete price/performance monster. also it has many styles so every time you eat you feel like you are eating something you didnt eat the other day :)

there are good small burger shops around kadikoy region you may want to try them. actually you can contact me if you want to eat something special i can probably tell you the best places in the city.

What places would you recommend visiting in Estambul?

museums of course. there are sooooooo many archeological, historical museums in istanbul.

also, for the love of god, use ferries as often as possible.

Is it good to eat out in Estambul? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

not everywhere. if it seems too cheap, just dont eat. unfortunately i dont have a favorite place to recommend :(

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

when it comes to night life, im not your guy but you may try kadikoy and besiktas

What advice would you give future students heading to Estambul?

prepare to get zipped :)