Are you already in love with Istanbul? Are you drawn to the city of contrasts, whether it is east and west, night- and day-life, village and metropolis? You’re not alone. Travellers just as Turkish countrymen are magical attracted to the city once they tasted the water of the Bosporus…
So how do you go about to get yourself a place to stay in Istanbul? Read on son.
Price? Costs of a place to stay starts at 250 euros
If you’re lucky and take your time to search for the perfect place, you can find a nice room in a shared flat between 250 and 400 euros a month. That is by far the easiest way as you pay the rent directly and in cash to your flatmate. If you plan on getting your own place, rents start at 500 Euro and you are required to have a residence permit. The Asian side is definitely cheaper than the European, deposits are usual three rents in advance, but consider that the water- and electricity-costs are comparably high.
Where to find a flat/apartment
If you have picked out your favourite mahallesi, that means city-district, walk around in search for one of the very frequent estate-agencies, so called “Emlak Ofisi”. If you can’t find one, check out http://istanbul.craigslist.com.tr, sahibinden.com or studioflats.info. If possible, ask a Turkish friend to deal with the landlord, because they always try to take advantage of foreigners… Figure out if there is a culture centre or library of your home country (or native language) and closely observe their bill-board (British Council, Institute Francais, Goethe-Institute
Good luck on your search and enjoy the stay!