Before we went to Istanbul for a few days we had done a little bit of online research about the price of things like food, drink etc.
We were led to believe that things were a good deal cheaper than Ireland.
But that was not the case. In fact, eating and drinking in hotels and restaurants in Istanbul were every bit as expensive as Ireland.
I was intrigued to find out what the minimum wage was and was amazed to discover that in 2023 the minimum wage in Turkey is TRY8,506.80 Net, TRY10,008.00 Gross.
These figures convert to €369 and €436 per month.
Yes, per month.
So, the next time someone tells you that Ireland is a “kip of a country” ask him/her to try living in Turkey for a while.
Yes, it is possible that accommodation and food and the other necessities of life away from the tourist areas of Istanbul are dramatically cheaper than we experienced.
But that much cheaper? Don’t think so, to be frank.