Middle class life in Istanbul
Are you curious about the life of the middle class in Istanbul Turkey? In this article, I’ll describe how much the middle class in Istanbul earns, where they live and what a typical week looks like.
All information in this article and more is also included in my YouTube video:
Overview middle class life in Istanbul Turkey
In almost all major cities worldwide, the middle class is currently struggling. This also applies to Istanbul very much. I will outline middle class life in Istanbul along these categories:
- Middle class in Istanbul Turkey
- Work and salary of middle class in Istanbul
- Neighbourhoods where middle class lives in Istanbul
- Cost of living in Istanbul
- Typical week in Istanbul
1) Middle class in Istanbul Turkey
Let’s start with who belongs to the middle class in Istanbul. Typically, this is a married couple. Nowadays, most younger parents in Istanbul only have one child.
2) Work and salary of middle class in Istanbul
Regarding work, both husband and wife are usually employed. They work either in the public or private sector.
Salaries for public sector employees range between 1.200 and 1.800 Euros per month. Examples of such jobs include technicians with high school diplomas, clerks with university degrees, teachers, nurses, police officers, lawyers and engineers.
In the private sector, salaries for similar positions with limited experience range between 1.000 and 1.800 Euros per month. However, employees with more experience earn higher wages.
This means, the total household income for a middle-class family in Istanbul is typically between 2.500 and 3.500 Euros per month.
(Salaries as of February 2025)
3) Neighbourhoods where middle class lives in Istanbul
Check my YouTube video (link in the top) for a more detailed look at the middle class neighbourhoods in Istanbul
Now, let’s look at the neighbourhoods where the middle class lives in Istanbul. The green highlighted districts along the Bosphorus are the most beautiful and desirable areas in Istanbul. In here, there are some neighbourhoods where the middle class can afford to rent, but mostly older apartments. However, most neighbourhoods in these districts are too expensive.
The majority of the middle class resides in the light green highlighted neighbourhoods, which are close to the central districts. In here, it is possible to rent newer and larger apartments. Lastly, there are districts further away on both the European and Asian sides. However, commuting from these areas to the dark green highlighted districts takes several hours.
Some middle-class families also own property in Istanbul. This is mainly in the light green or orange highlighted districts. Most of these homeowners purchased their properties before 2022, when prices were significantly lower. Today, buying property in Istanbul is extremely difficult for the middle class. However, many can still afford to buy property in other cities in Turkey.
4) Cost of living in Istanbul
Next, let’s talk about the cost of living in Istanbul. Rent in the mentioned neighbourhoods ranges between 600 and 800 Euros per month for a 2-bedroom apartment. These figures apply to new rental contracts.
Core living expenses including bills, groceries and transportation add another 600 to 900 Euros per month. This does not include a car, private school fees or vacations.
Private school tuition is in particular very expensive. These typically cost between 500 and 1.000 Euros per month. Top international private schools in Istanbul are even more expensive.
5) Typical week in Istanbul
Now, let’s go over a typical week for the middle class in Istanbul.
Public sector employees work 40 hours per week, typically from 8:30am to 5pm. Work is generally less stressful.
In contrast, private sector employees work 45 hours per week. The workweek is either five or six days. A five-day workweek often means working from 8:30am to 6pm. Also note, private sector work is typically much more stressful.
On top of that, there is the daily commute. For those living in the mentioned districts, the total daily commute is between 1.5 and 3 hours. This applies to both cars and public transportation.
Weekends are usually reserved for errands, family activities, rest and enjoying Istanbul.
You can explore other articles about Istanbul by clicking on one of the following categories: