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How is Istanbul for digital nomads?

in Istanbul, Turkey by @theunisk | 5yr 5yr | 13 comments

I’m soon heading out on my first solo international trip as a remote worker.
I’m thinking of starting in Istanbul mid June, and slowly making my way up
north, staying a month or so in cities along the way.

Have any of you stayed in Istanbul for a couple of weeks or longer? Anyone there now?
For accommodation there seems to be some options on airbnb.

Which areas are good and which are best avoided?
Are there any useful local sites?
Would it be worth booking a place for a couple of nights and trying to find a good deal on the ground?
What would a good rate be for a room or small apartment for a one month stay?

A lot of questions here, I’d appreciate any bits of advice you can share!

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@aurelienb | 5yr 5yr

@arman Thanks for your answer and the advice. I had seen this coworking space but I thought it was too far from asian part. I will reconsider my point of view and contact them, because I saw they have two spaces.
I’m not yet in Istanbul, it will be the next week but I still have no flat and coworking space so that’s why I asked for your nice advices !
As I have to stay only three weeks in Istanbul I think I might choose the european side to be close to coworking spaces, at least for the first week.

Thanks all for your great answers !

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

There are frequent ferries across both sides so even if you stay on the Asian side your journey won’t be too painful. If it’s a short-term stay then Airbnb would work great (even though it is a bit pricey), and the best neighborhood on the European side is Cihangir! - although I may be biased as I live here…

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@ride | 5yr 5yr

OK. Back to Istanbul. I’d definitely stay on the Asian side, for long term. Of course, it depends on your personal tastes and preferences, but the NY Times video is instructive.

This new shopping mall (under construction; looks good!) will house Apple’s 3rd Istanbul store (Turkey is a mayor power), for some culture on the Asian side.

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

The asian side is great, Karikoy and Moda are incredible areas but still the same price as somewhere like Cihangir on the european side for long term rent (where I’m staying and love).

Have you checked out the neighborhood Karakoy? Loads of little cafes, shops & more and all very hipster. Reminds me of Shoreditch in London.

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@ride | 5yr 5yr

Freakin’ too big city for my taste. Anyone tried Izmir? It may be interesting on may levels, according to my Turkish sources.

Even Antalya; it’s not only about tourists, many expats live there as well. 1/3rd of the population are Russian, I was told. Mostly females, married, or want to marry, a Turk or a nomad.

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@aurelienb | 5yr 5yr

Hi all,
@podviaznikov do you have advices for some coworking spaces in Istanbul except Yazane and Urban Station , already listed in this thread, if you have tested one of them.

Thanks

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

Hey @AurelienB check out Kolektif House, definitely the coolest coworking space around with great events, live music nights and a super awesome community! I’ve been in Istanbul for 3 months now and tried almost everywhere, Kolektif House is where I meet the most international, friendly and like minded people in the city.

If you’re looking for cafes in the area to work from, anywhere in Karaköy and Cihangir will do, just pop into a cafe when you see someone on their laptop and plug in! Happy to help out if you have any other questions about remote working in Istanbul

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@afternoon | 5yr 5yr

Bad choice.

AirBnB prices are going through the roof IMHO. You should find a flatmate if you want to stay there. Internations forum is a good choice if you want to find one.

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@podviaznikov | 5yr 5yr

I agree with @norydev. For me Istanbul is a good place for the digital nomads:

It is huge city and there are a lot of things to do and see.
Good public transport
A lot of places to eat out
Good amount of nice coworking spaces
Good prices on AirBnB

Kadiköy is definitely great neighborhood. I also like neighborhood near Cevahir Mall and Sutluce.

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

This is my opinion, but we are all really different, so you might just give it a try.

Istanbul is great! My favorite place to stay is Kadiköy on the Asian side. There is a lot of nice people outside at night, small pedestrian streets with nice bars, not as crowded as the european side (but crowded still, don’t misunderstand me).

My experience is that it is hard to get an airbnb late (like, for tonight or tomorrow). Best to plan ahead. Otherwise, tons of cheap hostels in beyoglu and sultanahmet. But they are very un-even, so you can give it a try. I love the hush moda hostel in kadiköy, and Neverland in beyoglu. But if you want to work, the internet can be unreliable, and you’ll have to use the dinning tables as desk. For the price, I find Istanbul expensive in general. stay with hostels or airbnb (the prices are not overrated), the local renting system is not worth playing with if you stay so short.

If you are into coworking, Yazane is the best. I have tried Urban Station in Maslak only. It was very “quiet” (4-5 people, not much interaction), but the one in galata or sisane could be more “alive”.

Hope you will enjoy it!

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@theunisk | 5yr 5yr

Thanks @norydev, I appreciate it.
I found quite a few options on http://www.sublet.com as well, but I don’t think I’d commit to anything on there without going to see the place first.

Would you mind expanding a bit on what you mean when you say you find Istanbul expensive in general? Expensive relative to? I’m going entirely based on projections from airbnb, nomadlist & numbeo.com. Would you say those are fairly accurate or way out?

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

When I say “it is expensive”, I am comparing to the rest of Turkey, and the big cities in the area (South-east Europe). But it also depends a lot where in Istanbul you want to be. For rents, Airbnb is the best indicator to me. Street food is much more expensive in the touristic areas than in Üsküdar for example, but it would be from 10 to 50 TL without drinks, and restaurants a bit higher.

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@theunisk | 5yr 5yr

Thanks for clarifying!

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What is possible demand for a co-living space in Istanbul?

in Istanbul, Turkey by @muratkun | 5yr 5yr | 2 comments

Hello
Im a startup lover from Istanbul, and me and my friends we opened first non-profit co-working space for students near Bogaziçi university.(we are also still in college)

its called " garage " spelling is in Turkish : http://www.garaj.co/

It is totaly free for students, we host events like startup talks, give workshops about ios-android dev, pi-arduino , robotics, data ,analytics etc.
We teach little kids (7-15 olds )basics of programming (scratch) for free

What im asking here is ; I need to come up with a business model to make it sustainable for a long time.

Co-living concept sounds pretty good to me and i feel like it will get just bigger and better in the future.

So im asking your opinion about staying in a co-living space which is part of a student co-working area for digital nomads.Its in university neighboorhood 40 minutes train ride to anywhere(Taksim-bluemosque are etc). Young passionate people around and decent internet connection.It won’t cost much

Thanks for reply

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

Hi Murat,
I love the idea! If a co-living existed in Istanbul, I would love to spend some time there. Also, your co-working space looks great.
I don’t know the place near Bogaziçi, but it seems a bit remote for me. Istanbul transports are nightmare I think. But I guess, you can’t change the place, so…
To me clearly, it would be awesome if in Kadiköy, I buy directly. I buy with pleasure in Beyoglu, Galata, Karaköy. Other than this it really needs some good arguments.
Would it allow short term stays? Or only long term? What was your idea?

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@muratkun | 5yr 5yr

Hey Fabien
Thanks,
We are located a little bit north in Istanbul and traffic is terrible but we just had our direct subway line to university so not bad for transportation.
Kadiköy is great neighborhood. I love Beyoglu district like all young people in Turkey. It would be really nice to have a place there.
Need to work on structure and business model more for good arguments. I was thinking through what i have at the moment.
I Like to be connected and connect digital nomads with local same mind people.
If you are around Istanbul, like to buy you drink and talk more

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How is Istanbul for digital nomads?

in Istanbul, Turkey by @theunisk | 5yr 5yr | 13 comments

Have any of you stayed in Istanbul for a couple of weeks or longer? Anyone there now?
For accommodation there seems to be some options on airbnb.

Which areas are good and which are best avoided?
Are there any useful local sites?
Would it be worth booking a place for a couple of nights and trying to find a good deal on the ground?
What would a good rate be for a room or small apartment for a one month stay?

A lot of questions here, I’d appreciate any bits of advice you can share!

👍

638

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@aurelienb | 5yr 5yr

Thanks all for your great answers !

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

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@ride | 5yr 5yr

OK. Back to Istanbul. I’d definitely stay on the Asian side, for long term. Of course, it depends on your personal tastes and preferences, but the NY Times video is instructive.

This new shopping mall (under construction; looks good!) will house Apple’s 3rd Istanbul store (Turkey is a mayor power), for some culture on the Asian side.

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

The asian side is great, Karikoy and Moda are incredible areas but still the same price as somewhere like Cihangir on the european side for long term rent (where I’m staying and love).

Have you checked out the neighborhood Karakoy? Loads of little cafes, shops & more and all very hipster. Reminds me of Shoreditch in London.

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@ride | 5yr 5yr

Freakin’ too big city for my taste. Anyone tried Izmir? It may be interesting on may levels, according to my Turkish sources.

Even Antalya; it’s not only about tourists, many expats live there as well. 1/3rd of the population are Russian, I was told. Mostly females, married, or want to marry, a Turk or a nomad.

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@aurelienb | 5yr 5yr

Hi all,
@podviaznikov do you have advices for some coworking spaces in Istanbul except Yazane and Urban Station , already listed in this thread, if you have tested one of them.

Thanks

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@arman | 5yr 5yr

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@afternoon | 5yr 5yr

Bad choice.

AirBnB prices are going through the roof IMHO. You should find a flatmate if you want to stay there. Internations forum is a good choice if you want to find one.

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@podviaznikov | 5yr 5yr

I agree with @norydev. For me Istanbul is a good place for the digital nomads:

It is huge city and there are a lot of things to do and see.
Good public transport
A lot of places to eat out
Good amount of nice coworking spaces
Good prices on AirBnB

Kadiköy is definitely great neighborhood. I also like neighborhood near Cevahir Mall and Sutluce.

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

This is my opinion, but we are all really different, so you might just give it a try.

Hope you will enjoy it!

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@theunisk | 5yr 5yr

Thanks @norydev, I appreciate it.
I found quite a few options on http://www.sublet.com as well, but I don’t think I’d commit to anything on there without going to see the place first.

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

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@theunisk | 5yr 5yr

Thanks for clarifying!

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How to find accommodation in Turkey?

in Turkey by @pilat | 5yr 5yr | 8 comments

… or in any modern town (with multi-storey appt buildings).

Hi, I’m going to Alanya, Turkey this October/November (then moving to Goa). My plan for Goa is the following: I rent something via Booking/AirBnB for just 2-3 days so that we could be rested from the road. During these days I’m going to shop around for longer and less expensive accommodation. In India, they say, the best way is to do it “offline”: just go to streets and look for “Rooms to let” signs. It’s Ok, I believe, in rural area with 1-2 story houses, but how would one “shop offline” in a modern town like Alanya? I mean, you won’t go into a multi-storey apartment buildings and knock at the doors, will you? Any advices?

Maybe, there are some boards that locals use to rent flats? I don’t like prices on AirBnB, to be honest… Especially with current Rub-to-Euro conversion rate
Besides, our primary goal on this trip is to try living “like a native”; not interested in touristic attractions.

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@pilat | 5yr 5yr

Ok. I’ve found affordable option and here’s how: a friend of mine suggested a facebook group of russian expats in Alanya. There I’ve found few options, met with owners etc. The prices are surprisingly lower on the facebook feed than in most rental sites.

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@wanderingdev | 5yr 5yr

maybe you could link to that group so others can find it as well?

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@pilat | 5yr 5yr

Here they are:

Russian group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rentalanya/
Not sure about something similar in English… Here’s an expats group, though: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Alanyaexpatssocialgroup/ (warning: they consider rental ads as spam, but you could try to ask about proper rental group there)

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@alesis | 5yr 5yr

The best way to find an accommodation in another country is to talk to some friend who have already been there. It is the most safe way to my mind.

I’ve been to Turkey for at least 5 times and i’ve also faced a problem like you do now. A friend of mine recommended me a small hotel right in the middle of Antalya. I used his advice and settled there. BTW its name is Eski Masal Hotel. It is a really nice place to come either with your friends or with your lovers. I’ve also visited Eski Masal with my parents once and they also liked it a lot.

Nice service, good people, delicious cuisine - perfect atmosphere for those who are not looking for getting drunk 24/7 during their trip to Antalya.

One thing I say - I’ve visited Eski Masal Hotel for 4 times and I will do it all the time because those guys know how to make my leisure unforgettable.

Hope I was helpful, buddy!
Have a nice day!

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@markcaggiano | 5yr 5yr

In turkey you can find easily accomodation offline. You can find also good hotels with private rooms and wifi for around 30 TL.

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@pilat | 5yr 5yr

[quote=“Marco_Caggiano, post:4, topic:3447, full:true”]
In turkey you can find easily accomodation offline. You can find also good hotels with private rooms and wifi for around 30 TL.[/quote]

Well, that’s my question: How? How do one finds accommodations offline in a modern town (specifically, in Alanya)? Where should I go first? Maybe, buy certain newspaper? I’ve read about “go ask where Main street is” concept in Lonely Planet, but that’s applicable to villages, I believe?

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@ali | 5yr 5yr

Hello Viladimir ,

Alanya is a popular city in Antalya. Too many German lives there and they have their own houses. İt takes about 2-3 hours to reach the city.
I would recommend kemer or konyaaltı for a better vacation. You can find too many shopiing center and beaches are great. Too many russian,ukranien people choose kemer or konyaaltı part for vacation. I live in konyaaltı and too many russian family live in konyaaltı together with us.

By the way drop me a message when you come to Antalya. I would be gald to meet with you.

Cheers

Ali

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@pilat | 5yr 5yr

Thank you for the suggestion. Still, any howtos on the subject? (looking for affordable accommodations in cities like Alanya, Antalya, etc.)

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What is possible demand for a co-living space in Istanbul?

in Istanbul, Turkey by @muratkun | 5yr 5yr | 2 comments

Hello
Im a startup lover from Istanbul, and me and my friends we opened first non-profit co-working space for students near Bogaziçi university.(we are also still in college)

its called " garage " spelling is in Turkish : http://www.garaj.co/

What im asking here is ; I need to come up with a business model to make it sustainable for a long time.

Co-living concept sounds pretty good to me and i feel like it will get just bigger and better in the future.

Thanks for reply

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@norydev | 5yr 5yr

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@muratkun | 5yr 5yr

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Post review

To increase honesty, reviews are anonymous. You can only add one review per city or it replaces/edits your old one. Reviews with URLs or emails are removed. If you're writing about data being wrong, please don't do it here as it'll be removed but leave feedback in the bottom right of the frontpage.

I spent one year in Istanbul and it's absolutely amazing. The city is really safe, I went back home really late during the night, walking, without any problem. Parties are really fun and there are all kinds of spots to have fun (bars, nightclubs, restaurants...). The city has a lot of cafés to work at and most of them have free and reliable wifi. Definitely recommend!

6 months ago

As any other city, there are its pros and cons. Of course, it is not a village where everyone will be nice and smile at you if you expect this. Large cities are usually cold and people are quite disconnected. However, the beauty of the culture compliments everything. I suggest having a right intention when coming to Istanbul. If you're looking to make new friends, this is probably not your place to pick (as people are pretty cold), but if you want to enjoy your life, live in your own pace - go to islands to swim, see historical places, walk on your feet a lot, go to cool restaurants and very vivid coffee shops (the variety, is wow!!). As you enter your routine, people will follow and you will connect with some as well that it is not going to be lonely.

10 months ago

Beautiful, affordable, and historic. Downsides are that Turkish people can be often very casually racist and culturally insensitive, especially if you are an ethnic minority and/or a woman. I've also been followed on multiple occasions by random men on the streets. But don't let this take away from your experience of the place as I've experienced some of the best hospitality, food, and sights this world has to offer. There are plenty of cafes and public spaces with reliable wifi where you can get work done.

11 months ago

Spent six months in Istanbul in 1993 when Turkey was really exotic. Didn't return till 2007, when I made mostly Kurdish friends in Sultanahmet, whom I'd see on frequent visits thereafter. Otherwise, I'd skip the city as like throughout Turkey bar the Kurdish areas there's anti Western feeling and targeting of visitors (I noticed that after a meal with alcohol, I'd nearly always be approached by a single male in the street near the restaurant inviting me to a bar certain. I'd suggest going to the first busy café instead, at which point they'd excuse themselves. I suspect some waiters were part of a scam targeting single males).

1 year ago

It's most historical city with most rude people!!
you always be careful to not to be stupid

I planned to go there next spring !

İstanbul is the most historical city in the world.

⭐️ Overall Score	4.09/5 258 reviews
🎒 Nomad Score™	4.09/5
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $1,278 / mo
📡 Internet	🏎 Fast: 13Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Good
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🌞 Perfect: 28°C83°F (feels 30°C86°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 66%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Great: 23 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	😷 Unhealthy for some: 144 US AQI
👌 Safety	Good
🎓 Education level	Okay
❤️ Liked by members	👍18 likes vs. 👎4 dislikes
🙊 English speaking	Okay
😤 People density	🤨 Busy: 10k ppl/km² (10x10m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
✌️ Peace	Bad
🚦 Traffic safety	Okay
🏥 Hospitals	Great
😄 Happiness	Okay
🍸 Nightlife	Great
📶 Free WiFi in city	Okay
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Okay
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech	Okay
🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance	Okay
👩 Female friendly	Bad
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly	Bad
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Region	Europe
🚩 Country	Turkey
⏱ Average trip duration	7 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	13 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 28°C 83°F + Humid (66%) = feels 30°C 86°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 23 US AQI 🍃 good
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	😷 144 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	Beyoğlu Center
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	Beyoglu
🚕 Best taxi app (in country)	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
📱 Best wireless carrier	AVEA
💸 10 TRY in USD	USD 1.44
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	TRY 1,000 = USD 144
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless society
🚰 Safe tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	14% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	8,642,300 visitors
📸 Tourists now	165,629 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	15,000,000 people
😤 Population density	🤨 busy: 10x10m (100m²) per person
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Hepsiburada
🏠 Apartment listings	Sahibinden
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	AnadoluJet
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Turkish

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$1,278 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$712 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$1,331 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$380 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$260 / month
🏢 Coworking	$72 / month
🏨 Hotel	$1,189 / month
🏨 Hotel	$56 / night
🏠 Airbnb (1,001 listings)	$1,150 / month
🏠 Airbnb	$38 / night
🍛 Dinner	$3
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$0
🍺 Beer (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee	$1
💰 Estimated tax on $50,000	$17,500
💰 Estimated tax on $100,000	$35,000
💰 Estimated tax on $250,000	$87,500

	UI Developer @ CrowdStrike
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Istanbul

How is Istanbul for digital nomads?

What is possible demand for a co-living space in Istanbul?

How is Istanbul for digital nomads?

How to find accommodation in Turkey?

What is possible demand for a co-living space in Istanbul?

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