Living Expenses in Turkey for Pakistani Students – 2026 Guide

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Living Costs in Turkey for Pakistani Students: City-wise Comparison

Whether you want to enroll in Bachelor's, Master's, or PHD the one thing remaining the same is the living expenses, including food, accommodation, utilities bills, and transportation. Living costs in Turkey for Pakistani students must be checked before applying to any institute. There are many ways to help you save money, like setting spending limits and choosing cost-effective options among any expenses. For 2026, due to inflation, there are changes in the daily expenses of Turkey, making exact budgeting every more important.

Read the guide to get a realistic plan, city-by-city cost differences, accommodation type, and tips to make an informed decision.

Why Living Costs in Turkey Matter for Pakistani Students

Reviewing the exact living costs in Turkey for Pakistani students is highly important. The amount can fluctuate depending on the city, institution, and living standards. For smart decisions, researching all hidden costs is compulsory.

No Standard cost estimation

The cost of living can be very subjective, depending on the location where you live, the type of accommodation, and inflation. The prices of food and rent are high in modern cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and Antalya in Turkey. The mandatory hidden costs students don;t listed need a significant amount to cover includes visa renewal, health insurance, booking deposit, travel, transport, academic material, and social life. To make a realistic budget, students should research aesthetic sources and make a list of all expenses in a table for better calculation.

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The low cost of living in Turkey is another factor that most universities promote in order to get more international students. Students are only concerned with the tuition fees whilst ignoring the cost of living ,which causes them to endure financial strain in the process of studying.

Currency exchange rate fluctuation

To ensure accurate budgeting, the track living costs should be refreshed daily and converted prices from TRY to PKR.

Public vs Private Universities: Cost differences

There is a significant difference in tustion & hostel cost between government sponsor vs private universities. The private universities may offer modern facilities like renowned large hostel rooms, sports areas, gyms, cafeterias, outdoor cultural events, innovation hubs, and advanced libraries. In comparison, public universities offer low tuition fees for all higher studies programs, recognized degrees, diverse program availability, and a higher reputation. It's up to you to decide if you prefer vibrant campus activities or affordability.

Scholarships opportunities

For every intake, Turkish universities offer students government-funded or university-specific scholarships. It can cover your tuition fees, accommodation, monthly living stipend, flight ticket, and health insurance. These scholarship offers for all PHD, Master's, and Bachelor's programs are also renewed every year based on your performance. It not only reduced tuition fees & accommdation but also allowed better lifestyle management with a stipend.

Part-time job

In Turkey, international students can cover their expenses by doing part-time jobs. But there are some conditions required to check. The salary can help you support daily living expenses and live stress-free.

Average living costs in Turkey for Pakistani students

In recent years, Turkey has become one of the favorite destinations among foreign students because of its cost-effectiveness. Because of inflation, the cost of living, particularly the tuition fees, is ever-rising everywhere. It is quite important to know the existing average expense of accommodation, food, transport, and miscellaneous costs. Knowing factors that affect living costs in Turkey for Pakistanis is important to avoid financial surprises.

By Language of Instruction

As tuition fees are the main living expenses for Pakistanis students. Many prefer nEnglish medium for the MBBS degree. There is a clear cost difference between English vs Turkish higher students. Always keep track of your spending; exceeding your budget may cause difficulties in the future.

Type of Accommodation

There are many types of housing options available for Pakistani students. If you go for a budget friendly option, then on-campus dorms will best offer all types of essential facilities to help you better socialize. Mostly shared with 2 - 4 persons, separated by male and female.

While the private apartments can be shared offer more space and independence. These apartments are double the price of dorms and are best for students with strong financial resources.

City to City

Big cities in Turkey can offer more part-time job opportunities and active lifestyles. But it comes to personal expenses like utilities, groceries, a monthly transport pass, per day meal, and rent, which are significantly higher compared to rural cities. So when you are choosing an institution,check its estimated living expenses.

Spending Habits:

Stick to intelligent budgeting routines and engage in cost-efficient lifestyle decisions, and your financial budget will be under control.

You do not need to eat at cafes, restaurants, and others, as you can cook at home.
You don’t have to be living alone in a private apartment or dorm room; you can share the room with roommates.
Metros and buses are very cheap and will provide more discounts to international students. You may choose it instead of hiring a taxi.
Individual spending, such as shopping, data packages, entertainment, and electronics favor the middle-end products as opposed to the high-end.

Monthly Living Budget

Expense	Avg Cost (PKR)
Accommodation	180,000 – 315,000
Food	112,500 – 157,500
Transport	27,000 – 45,000
Utilities & Internet	31,500 – 54,000
Personal	36,000 – 67,500
Total	405,000 – 630,000

Annual City-wise Living Costs in Turkey for Pakistani Students

Smart financial planning requires Pakistani students to know about the living costs. Significant charges are housing, food, transport, utilities, internet, and personal expenses. Through such costs, students can lead comfortable lives as they are not strained by money.

City-wise Living Costs

City	Rent (PKR / mo)	Food (PKR / mo)	Transport (PKR / mo)	Total (PKR / mo)
Istanbul	450,000 – 1,125,000	225,000 – 450,000	36,000 – 67,500	711,000 – 1,642,500
Ankara	360,000 – 900,000	202,500 – 405,000	31,500 – 54,000	594,000 – 1,359,000
Izmir	315,000 – 900,000	180,000 – 360,000	27,000 – 45,000	522,000 – 1,305,000
Konya	225,000 – 675,000	157,500 – 315,000	22,500 – 36,000	405,000 – 1,026,000
Erzurum	180,000 – 540,000	135,000 – 292,500	18,000 – 30,000	333,000 – 862,500
Bursa	270,000 – 810,000	162,000 – 315,000	25,200 – 45,000	457,200 – 1,170,000

Student Accommodation Costs in Turkey

The cost of accommodation of the city is primarily determined by the type, which is the variable before settling on insituation. The average cost is the information that can be used to plan finances as far as whether to rent the state dorm or the private apartment.

Accommodation Type	Avg Cost (TRY/month)	Avg Cost (PKR/month)	Features / Notes
State-Run Dormitory (KYK)	400 – 1,500	18,000 – 67,500	Basic, meals included, shared facilities
Private Dormitory	2,000 – 6,000	90,000 – 270,000	Single/double rooms, private bathrooms, better facilities
University Dormitory	1,500 – 5,000	67,500 – 225,000	On-campus, varying comfort levels
Foundation Housing (Vakif)	500 – 2,500	22,500 – 112,500	Safe, modern, sometimes meals included
Private Apartment (Solo)	4,000 – 7,000	180,000 – 315,000	Full privacy, self-managed bills
Private Apartment (Shared)	2,000 – 4,500	90,000 – 202,500	Cheaper option, shared costs

Food Living Costs in Turkey for Pakistani Students

Halal food is widely available in Turkey on campus & off-campus. There are a diverse number of restaurants serving authentic Pakistani food, making students feel less homesick. Home cooking is a popular method of saving money, particularly when they share groceries with roommates.

Item	Cost
University meal	40–70 TRY
Grocery (monthly)	2,000–3,000
Eating out	150–250/meal

Transportation Living Costs in Turkey for Pakistani Students

One of the major aspects of living expenses in Turkey among Pakistani students is transportation. Student transport cards are provided by most of the universities, which offer great discounts on the transportation systems such as buses, metro, trams, and ferries within the big cities.
The prices are generally 600-1000 TRY per month, depending on the city that you live in and on the frequency of your visits.
You should have your student ID or transport card in order to get discounted prices.
Taxis are significantly more expensive, whereas public buses, metro, and trams are cheap.
In Turkey, a large number of students go to school either by bicycle or walking to the school to save on costs.

Conclusion

Without budgeting all the living expenses, you can face financial stress, poor accommodation choices, and hidden costs. By ensuring all the personal & mandatory spending, you can smoothly complete your degree. As you already understand, the factors affecting the budget are important including accommodation, food, travel, and daily expenses are on the top.

Additionally, before choosing a university, understanding the city's monthly living expenses in advance can help prevent financial surprises during your studies.

Contact Soft Consultants to choose best city, accommodation type, scholarship availability, and admission to study in Turkey till the arrival. For official information, visit the Study in Türkiye portal.

Writer: Mahnoor

Education Content Writer — Soft Consultants

Mahnoor is an education content writer at Soft Consultants, specializing in international study programs. She focuses on helping students make informed decisions about studying MBBS in China and other top destinations through clear, research-based information.