Free tools for newcomers
Moving to Istanbul is exciting and overwhelming in equal measure. We built the tools we wish existed to help you find the right neighborhood, plan your budget, and navigate the basics.
Explore the tools
Interactive tools
Most popular
Answer a few questions about your lifestyle and budget. Get a ranked list of Istanbul neighborhoods that actually fit how you want to live.
Find your neighborhood
Plan ahead
Get a realistic monthly budget estimate based on your lifestyle, including the costs most guides forget such as aidat fees, DASK insurance, phone registration.
Plan your budget
New
Earning in USD, EUR, or GBP? Find out exactly how far your foreign salary goes in Istanbul and whether your lifestyle is comfortable, tight, or needs a rethink.
Check your salary
Explore
Have a free afternoon or a full day? Tell us what you are in the mood for and we will find the right corner of Istanbul to explore next. 31 areas covered.
Find somewhere to explore
Language
Not a language course. The phrases that actually come up daily: talking to your landlord, navigating the doctor, getting through bureaucracy. 100 phrases, 10 situations.
Learn the essentials
Travel
Ready to explore beyond Istanbul? Tell us what you are after and we will match you to the right Turkish city. History, coast, nature, food, ski. 37 destinations covered.
Find your next destination
Renting
Everything to check before viewing, during the visit and before signing. Interactive checklist covering inspection, costs, lease terms and the questions landlords hope you won't ask.
Open the checklistWhy Istanbul Expat
Most expat resources about Istanbul are written by people who visited for two weeks or scraped data from other sites. This one isn't. Every tool here reflects how the city actually works, not how it looks from the outside.
