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Money in Turkey, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: where cards work and where you still need cash, why the lira moves so fast, and the small tips (bahsis) that smooth the way.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Great in cities, not the bazaar
Visa and Mastercard are taken at hotels, restaurants, malls and supermarkets, and contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay are common. Amex is patchier. Where cards fall short is the bazaars, street stalls, small cafes and many taxis, which are cash and often cheaper if you bargain with it.
Check yours →Cash
Keep a real stack
Lira is essential for markets, street food, small vendors, taxis and tips, and cash helps you haggle. Because of inflation, notes top out at 200 lira, which is not much, so you will carry a thick wad. ATM withdrawal limits can be low, so you may pull cash more than once.
How much to bring →ATMs
Use a bank machine
Bank ATMs (Ziraat, Isbank, Garanti, Akbank, Yapi Kredi) are everywhere. Read the on-screen fee, expect a modest per-withdrawal limit, and always decline "convert to US dollars." Avoid standalone machines in heavy tourist spots, which push poor conversions and fees.
See ATMs in Turkey →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
Cards in the cities, cash for the bazaar.
A rough feel for everyday spending. In cities and tourist areas cards work widely and contactless is common. Cash is for the Grand Bazaar and street markets, street food, many taxis, small family cafes, mosque donations and tips. Cash also gives you leverage when you bargain, so keep a healthy stack of lira on you even though cards cover the bigger bills.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard with contactless, plus a backup card from a different bank.
- Get a no-foreign-fee debit card for cash. Charles Schwab refunds ATM fees worldwide; Wise and Revolut are low-fee.
- Turkey is not in the EU, so EU roaming does not apply. An eSIM (Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi) is usually simplest, and it sidesteps the phone-registration rules that apply to longer stays.
At the airport
- Skip the airport exchange counters, the rates are poor.
- Pull lira from a bank ATM (Ziraat, Isbank, Garanti, Akbank, Yapi Kredi) and decline "convert to US dollars."
- Take a decent amount, but expect a per-withdrawal cap, so you may need a second visit for the bazaar.
Day to day
- Card or phone for hotels, restaurants, malls and supermarkets.
- Cash for the bazaar, street food, small cafes, many taxis and tips, and to bargain.
- Prices already include VAT (KDV), so the marked price is what you pay in shops.
- Always choose lira, never US dollars, on every card terminal and ATM screen.
A golden rule
- Always pay in lira, not dollars. Choosing your home currency (dynamic currency conversion) quietly adds 3 to 8%.
- Trust today's price, not an old one. Inflation moves fast here, so a figure from an old guidebook, blog or even last year can be far off. Check a current converter and current menus.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Good across the cities and tourist regions and along the coasts, with the usual thinning in remote mountains and the far east. The networks are Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom, all with wide 4G and growing 5G. Turkey is not in the EU, so European roaming does not apply here. An eSIM (Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi) is the easy choice for a visit, and it also avoids the phone-registration rule that can block a foreign handset used with a local SIM beyond a few months. You do not need mobile data to pay for anything; cards and cash stand on their own. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Turkey.
Get your Nomad eSIM for Turkey→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Care in the main cities is good, but costs add up and reaching top care from a remote spot takes time, so it is worth a real look for a trip here.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 112 now covers every emergency service, and calls to 911 are redirected to it.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Currency basics
The Turkish lira, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
Turkey uses the lira (TRY). As a rough mid-2026 guide at about 48 lira to 1 US dollar, 100 lira is roughly $2, 500 lira about $10.50, and 1000 lira about $21. Because the rate moves quickly, treat these as a snapshot and check a live converter.
Notes and coins
Lira notes run 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200, and the 200 is the largest, so day to day you will carry a thick stack. There are 1 lira and small kurus coins, but years of inflation have left the coins nearly worthless, so you will rarely bother with them.
The lira moves fast
This is the one to watch. High inflation means prices and the exchange rate can change noticeably within a year, so a cost quoted in an old blog, guidebook or forum post may be well off. Trust a current converter and current menus rather than anything dated.
Tax is already in the price
Turkish VAT (KDV) is included in the marked price: 20% on most things, and a reduced 10% on food and hotel stays. The shop or menu price is what you pay, and at affiliated Tax Free shops non-residents can reclaim the VAT on larger purchases at the airport.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 47.03 TRY
Taxes, tips and refunds
Tax in the price, a small hotel tax, and modest tips.
In Turkey, VAT (KDV) is already included in the marked price: 20% on most goods and services, and a reduced 10% on food and hotel accommodation. Shops that display a Tax Free sign can issue a refund form so non-residents can reclaim the VAT on larger purchases when leaving the country, usually at the airport. Hotels add a small national accommodation tax to your bill, currently 1% (temporarily reduced from 2% through the end of 2026), the same across the country. Tipping (bahsis) is modest but expected: at restaurants, around 5 to 10% for good service, though check first whether a servis (service) charge has already been added. Round up for taxis, leave a little for hotel staff and helpful guides, and small change is welcome at a hamam. Cash tips are preferred. There is no separate departure tax; airport charges are built into your ticket.
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Modest but expected: about 5 to 10%.
Tipping in Turkey, called bahsis, is modest but part of the culture, so keep small notes handy. At a sit-down restaurant, around 5 to 10% for good service is normal, but first check the bill for a servis (service) charge, which some places add; if it is there, a little extra is enough. For a quick cafe or street food, rounding up is fine. Taxis get rounded up to a convenient figure. Leave a little for hotel housekeeping and porters, tip a helpful guide or driver, and small change is customary for a hamam attendant or a mosque-shoe minder. Cash tips are preferred, since a card tip rarely reaches the staff.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in Turkey?
Yes, a fair amount. Cards work well in cities for hotels, restaurants, malls and supermarkets, but the Grand Bazaar, street food, small cafes, many taxis and tips all run on lira, and cash helps you bargain. Keep a healthy stack and top up at a bank ATM, expecting a modest per-withdrawal cap.
Should I pay in Turkish lira or US dollars?
Lira. If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in US dollars, decline; that dynamic currency conversion typically adds 3 to 8%. Some tourist shops quote in dollars or euros too, so ask for the lira price and compare before you pay.
Why does everything cost a different amount than my guidebook says?
Inflation. The lira has been sliding quickly, so prices and the exchange rate can shift a lot within a year, and older guidebooks, blogs and forum posts are often well out of date. Check a live converter and current menus rather than trusting dated figures.
What is the best ATM to use in Turkey?
A major bank's machine, such as Ziraat, Isbank, Garanti, Akbank or Yapi Kredi. Read the fee, expect a modest per-withdrawal limit, and always decline the offer to convert to US dollars. Avoid the standalone machines clustered in tourist areas, which push poor conversions.
How much should I tip in Turkey?
Around 5 to 10% at restaurants for good service, but check first for a servis (service) charge on the bill. Round up for taxis, leave a little for hotel staff and guides, and keep small change for a hamam attendant. Cash tips are preferred, as card tips rarely reach the staff.
Does Turkey charge a tourist tax?
There is a national accommodation tax added to hotel bills, the same across the country rather than varying by city. It is temporarily 1% through 31 December 2026 (down from the standard 2%, which returns in 2027), and some room rates you book online already include it. There is no separate per-night city tourist tax.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Turkey.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Turkey's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Turkey, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Turkey.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Turkey, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Turkey, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA few words of Turkish go a long way
A few words of Turkish go a long way
Turkish is written in the Latin alphabet, and a warm Merhaba and a story or two mark you as a guest rather than a tourist. Turks are famously hospitable to visitors.
Say a few words
Tip: Hospitality is sacred in Turkey, and you will constantly be offered small tulip-shaped glasses of çay, black tea, as a gesture of welcome, so accept with a smile. In the bazaar, gentle haggling is part of the fun, often over yet another glass of tea. Teşekkürler means thank you.
Know a story
The most famous trick in history
On Turkey's western coast lie the ruins of Troy, the ancient city of Homer's tales. Legend says a long war ended when the attackers left a giant wooden horse at the gates as a false gift, hid soldiers inside, and slipped out once it was wheeled within the walls. A trojan horse has meant a hidden trap ever since.
Good to know: ancient Troy stood on Turkey's Aegean coast
A dance that becomes a prayer
In central Turkey, the followers of the beloved medieval poet Rumi developed the sema, a meditative ceremony in which robed dervishes spin slowly for a very long time, one hand turned up to the heavens and one down to the earth. The turning is a form of devotion and of love. It is mesmerizing to watch.
Say it: the whirling dervishes of Konya
A landscape from a dream
In the region of Cappadocia, wind and water have carved soft volcanic rock into a fairyland of cones, spires and hollows. For thousands of years people carved homes, churches and even whole underground cities right into the stone. Today hundreds of colorful balloons drift over it at sunrise.
Good to know: people have lived in Cappadocia's caves for millenniaTurks are warm, proud and endlessly hospitable, living at a crossroads of Europe and Asia layered with ancient cities, empires and faiths. They are proud of that history, of their food and their tea, and of a welcome that treats a guest almost as a gift. A little Turkish delights them.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkRe-checked July 2026. Turkey's accommodation tax is set at 2% of the room price under the Expense Taxes Law, but a Presidential Decision temporarily reduced it to 1% from 1 May through 31 December 2026, after which it returns to 2%. We updated the guide to the current 1%. Standard VAT (KDV) is 20%, with a reduced 10% on accommodation.
- Turkey accommodation tax guidancethe 2% rate (Konaklama Vergisi), temporarily reduced to 1% through 31 December 2026
- VAT in Turkey tax guidethe 20% standard KDV and the tourist VAT refund from 2,000 lira in a single store
Our own judgmentThis guide estimates the accommodation tax at the current temporary 1%, which applies through 31 December 2026; it returns to the standard 2% in 2027, so a stay from then on would carry a little more. The daily cash share, tipping norms and likely ATM behavior are our own estimate from experience, not an official figure.
More money guides in the Middle East
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Turkey
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Turkey.
- Do I need cash in Turkey, or can I use cards?Short answer: a card for cities and larger purchases, lira cash for bazaars, small vendors and taxis. And with high inflation, prices move fast. Here is how to handle it.
- Tipping in TurkeyTurkey has a modest tipping culture: about 5 to 10% at restaurants, plus small tips for a hamam attendant, guides and hotel staff. Here is what you actually owe.
- Istanbul taxis, the meter, and the airport done rightIstanbul taxis are metered and mostly fine, but a handful of tricks target visitors, and the airport is a long way out. Here is which app to install, how the meter really works, and the calm way to get into town.
- Common money scams in Turkey, and what they cost youTurkey is safe and welcoming for the great majority of visitors, and the tricks that target tourists, mostly in Istanbul's busy quarters, are about money rather than danger. Each one relies on your politeness or confusion, and each is easy to sidestep once you know it.
This is how Turkey stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.