Money in Istanbul: Turkish lira, bank cards and tipping

The Turkish lira, a fast-moving currency

Turkey's currency is the Turkish lira (Türk lirası, symbol ₺, abbreviated TL), divided into 100 kuruş. Banknotes in circulation range from 5 to 200 TL; the largest, 200 TL, is worth less than €4: bring a wallet that can hold a wad of notes.

Inflation remains very high. According to the Turkish statistics institute (TÜİK), consumer prices rose by 31.51% year on year in August 2026. In practice, a price noted in a guidebook or on a forum a year earlier is often 30% or more out of date in lira; as the lira also loses value against the euro, the rise is smaller once converted into euros. Transport, taxis and museum tickets are revised several times a year: always check the current price.

Indicative exchange rate

On 30 September 2026, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) quoted €1 = 55.66 TL and $1 = 49.02 TL (foreign exchange selling rate). The rate you actually get depends on your bank, the ATM or the exchange office.

TCMB rate of 30 September 2026; prices found in October 2026.

For a quick calculation, count about €1.80 per 100 TL. For all the costs of a stay, see our guide to the budget for a trip to Istanbul.

Bank cards and contactless payment

Hotels, restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, museums and most shops accept cards, even for small amounts. Visa and Mastercard are the most widespread; American Express is accepted less consistently. Contactless payment by card, phone or watch is common. Above a certain amount, the terminal asks for your PIN: make sure you know it before you leave.

A few precautions:

• Tell your bank if it blocks payments outside the European Union, and check your limits.
• Bring two cards from different networks, kept in separate places.
• Keep some cash for small shops, street stalls, pay toilets, markets and tips.

Since 1 September 2026, taxis must be fitted with a fiscal terminal linked to the meter and must accept card payment. In practice, still keep enough cash to pay the fare.

Changing money: exchange offices (döviz)

Exchange offices, marked with the word döviz, are plentiful in shopping districts. They display two columns: alış, the price at which they buy the currency, and satış, the price at which they sell it. If you bring euros, the "alış" column is the one that matters to you. They generally charge no separate commission: the gap between the two columns is their margin. You may be asked for your passport.

• Offices in the shopping streets, especially around the Grand Bazaar, often show tighter rates than those at the airport or in the most touristy streets of Sultanahmet.
• At the airport, only change enough to pay for your first journey if you have no card: see getting from Istanbul's airports to the city centre.
• Bring euro notes in good condition: damaged or marked notes may be refused.
• Count your lira at the counter before you leave.

Some tourist shops and hotels also accept euros or dollars, but at a rate they set themselves, almost always unfavourable. Pay in lira.

ATMs: fees and dynamic currency conversion

ATMs ("bankamatik" in Turkish) belonging to Turkish banks are everywhere and accept foreign Visa and Mastercard cards. Most Turkish banks charge a fee on withdrawals made with a foreign card; the amount is shown on screen before you confirm and varies from bank to bank. If the fee seems too high, cancel and try another bank's machine. Your own bank's fees come on top.

Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) is the costliest trap. The ATM, or a shop's card terminal, offers to charge your account directly in euros, at a rate shown on screen: that rate is almost always much worse than your bank's.

• Always choose "TL" or "without conversion", never the amount in euros.
• Avoid independent ATMs in tourist streets, which often combine high fees with forced conversion; use a bank's machine, in daytime, in a busy place.
• As fees are often fixed, withdraw larger sums less often.

Other money traps, such as the shoe shiner who "drops" his brush or the inflated bill in certain bars, are described in our guide to scams and safety in Istanbul.

Tipping in Istanbul: what is customary

Tipping (bahşiş) is not compulsory, but it is customary in restaurants and services. Since 30 January 2026, an amendment to Turkey's price display regulation has banned restaurants and cafés from charging service, cover or table fees: you only pay for what you ordered, and meze brought without your asking cannot be charged to you. Tipping is entirely up to you.

• Restaurant: 5 to 10% of the bill for good service. Preferably leave it in cash, on the table or in the bill folder: the card terminal does not always let you add a tip.
• Café, tea, counter: leave the change or round up.
• Taxi: round up the fare, with no obligation.
• Hammam: a tip is customary for the attendant (tellak or natır) who scrubbed and massaged you; ask at reception, as some places include it or discourage it. What happens during a session is described on our page for the Cağaloğlu Hammam.
• Hotel: a few notes for the porter or housekeeping staff are appreciated, but not expected.
• Guide: for a guided tour, a tip is usual if you are happy.

If a "servis" or "kuver" line still appears on the bill, ask for it to be removed; a complaint can be filed with the Ministry of Trade (consumer line 175).

Haggling: where and how

Haggling is part of the game in the bazaars and souvenir shops, much less so elsewhere. At the Grand Bazaar, it applies to carpets, leather, ceramics, lamps and costume jewellery. At the Spice Bazaar, spices and Turkish delight are sold by the kilo, with less room for negotiation. You don't haggle in supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, museums, or in shops with marked prices.

A few simple rules:

• Ask the price in two or three shops before negotiating.
• Make a clearly lower counter-offer, then move closer calmly.
• Don't negotiate if you have no intention of buying: agreeing on a price is a commitment.
• Paying in cash, in lira, often gets you an extra discount.
• Gold is sold by weight, at the day's rate, plus the cost of workmanship: negotiation mostly concerns the latter.

Museums: prices shown in euros

The major sites run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism show their prices for foreign visitors in euros, not in lira. Tickets are sold at the ticket office or on the ministry's online ticketing site, usually by card. The palaces run by the National Palaces administration, such as Topkapı and Dolmabahçe, on the other hand show their prices in lira.

Prices found in October 2026. The ministry has already announced increases for 2027, for example €35 for the Galata Tower and €16 for the Archaeology Museums.

The Museum Pass Istanbul gives one entry, for five days from the first visit, to a dozen museums and sites of the ministry and the National Palaces; it covers neither the harem nor Hagia Irene at Topkapı. Do the maths with the sites you actually plan to visit: it pays off from four major sites, for example Topkapı, the Galata Tower, the Archaeology Museums and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Free sites are gathered in our guide free Istanbul.

Transport: the Istanbulkart

The metro, tram, bus, metrobus, funicular and public ferries are paid with the Istanbulkart, a rechargeable contactless card. It is sold and topped up at the yellow machines in stations and at ferry piers, in cash or by bank card depending on the machine. Since 20 July 2026, a full-fare journey costs 46.20 TL, with a reduction for transfers made within a short time.

One card can be used by several travellers: tap it once per person. Keep a small balance for the return trip: not all top-up machines are in working order. How the network, cards and transfers work is explained in detail in our guide to transport in Istanbul.

Summary table: paying in Istanbul

Prices found in October 2026.

Further reading

To estimate the total cost of your stay, see our guide to the budget for a trip to Istanbul. Transport cards and useful lines are covered in the guide to transport in Istanbul, and the traps to avoid, from the inflated bill to the fake taxi, are listed in scams and safety in Istanbul. For a first day of sightseeing, follow the itinerary what to do in Istanbul in one day.