u/Reasonable-Cover-453

I’ve just got back from Istanbul and I’ve realised something:

tourists experience one Istanbul, locals experience another… and guess who ends up paying two or three times as much.

Here are the most common “subtle scams” I’ve come across, and how to avoid them without coming across as a cheapskate.

1) The airport taxi that sees you as a walking €50 note

If you don’t know the going rates, you could easily end up paying double, or even more.

The reality: you can get to the city centre by metro or shuttle bus for much less, and without any stress.

2) Restaurants “with a view” that mainly serve up the bill

An incredible terrace, views of the Bosphorus, a menu translated into eight languages = you already know you’re going to be overpaying.

Tip: Two streets back, you can often get the same dish for half the price and three times as authentic.

3) The “friends” who take you out for a drink

A milder version of late-night scams: a “friendly” person strikes up a conversation, suggests a bar or club… and the bill turns out to be astronomical.

4) Golden rule: you always choose the venue, never the other way round.

Souvenirs sold as “handmade” but churned out by the same factory

In heavily touristed areas, many items are sold as handmade… when in fact they’re mass-produced.

The right approach: compare prices in several shops, venture a little off the main streets, and don’t be afraid to haggle.

5) The makeshift guides who stick to your heels

In front of certain monuments, you’ll find blokes who turn into “official guides” overnight.

If you don’t agree on a price BEFORE you start, you’ll end up with an exorbitant bill at the end.

What I did to avoid getting ripped off:

• I used the Istanbulkart for all my journeys (metro, tram, ferry) : it worked a treat and was cheap.
• I didn’t just stick to Sultanahmet; I also went to Kadıköy on the Asian side, which is much more local.
• I relied on genuine advice from fellow travellers and locals, not the first person who stopped me in the street.

And you, what kind of hassle did you have in Istanbul?

I know this might get me roasted on this sub, but I’m asking anyway: Has Istanbul become too expensive for “normal” travelers?

I’ve been coming back to the city for several years now, and at every trip I see a clear difference.
A few years ago, I could still get by on a very tight budget (around 30–40 € per day) without too much stress: simple hotels, cheap restaurants, coffees, public transport, and a few museums.
Now, even with a more comfortable budget (around 60–80 € per day), I feel way more constrained.

Some concrete examples:

• About 5 years ago, I could still find simple rooms near Sultanahmet or Karaköy around 50–70 € per night, sometimes even less in low season. Now, even “basic” hotels are often in the 100–150 € per night range, and the good places I used to stay at have often doubled their prices.
• A normal coffee in Beyoğlu or Galata, which used to cost about 5–7 TL (around 1.5–2 €), is now often 15–25 TL (about 4–7 €), depending on the area.
• A complete kebab in a decent restaurant used to be around 15–25 TL; now it’s often 50–70 TL, especially in very touristy areas.
• Museums and major sites have also gone up (entrance + sometimes skip‑the‑line tickets, guided tours, etc.), and that starts to feel like a separate “serious” budget.

With this financial pressure increasing, I also get the feeling that Istanbul is sliding more and more into scams, especially in places where tourists don’t really know the real prices.
For example, the other day I sat down at a restaurant in Vadistanbul, far from Sultanahmet, and they gave me a menu… without any prices on it.
I accepted, ordered, and only saw the bill afterward—where I realized it was a classic scam setup: very high prices hidden behind a “trendy” presentation and a nice atmosphere.
I’m not the only one with this kind of story; you see similar reports on travel forums all the time.

I’m not saying everything is rotten now. There are still plenty of honest, affordable spots if you move away from the ultra‑touristy zones.
But the feeling I get is that Istanbul is starting to filter out the type of traveler:

• fewer budget backpackers,
• fewer “super‑tight‑budget” tourists,
• and more travelers who are either well‑funded or willing to sacrifice a lot of comfort.

So for you:

• has Istanbul started to feel “out of budget” for a normal traveler,
• or can you still find genuinely cheap areas if you know where to look and where to avoid?

I’d love to hear your thoughts: recent hotel prices, restaurants, transport, cafes, etc., and especially your scam stories or, on the other side, your real cheap­‑travel gems.
Am I exaggerating, or do you feel the same thing?

Picture of my last trip at Vadistanbul :p

https://preview.redd.it/16afeqby7w1h1.jpg?width=835&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32d23d3ff4abfecd79bc1005a0b6a173da6d1c87