Choose where to live, find your way around and make a routine that works for you. Start with the practical details, then leave room for the city.
Plan your first week
Your campus address is more useful than a city-wide average. The journey to class, the people you live with and what your room includes all shape your everyday experience.
Use this guide as a set of questions to work through. Check the details with your university or service provider and enter your own costs in the planner below.
A suggested sequence, not an official timetable. Adapt it to your arrival date, needs and university’s instructions.
A few practical things to check, at your own pace.
A few practical things to check, at your own pace.
A few practical things to check, at your own pace.
A few practical things to check, at your own pace.
Meet the city beyond your campus. Explore its neighbourhoods, everyday journeys and places to make your own.
Find your routine on either side of the Bosphorus.
Ferries, neighbourhood streets and historic places shape life in Istanbul. Start with your campus address, then explore the districts around it.
Read the city guideA ferry ride, a favourite café, a walk after class. Find a few places to make your own.
Combine Kadıköy’s ferry connections with a visit to Moda’s Barış Manço Museum. The M4 is another route to check for journeys on the Asian side.
A Bosphorus-side district with the Kadıköy ferry connection and Dolmabahçe Palace. Use the actual pier and campus locations when comparing routes.
Explore İstiklal Avenue’s historic passages, including Çiçek Pasajı and Avrupa Pasajı. These are places to discover between study days.
Istanbul extends across the Bosphorus, with different places to explore on its European and Asian sides. Before choosing where to live, check your faculty’s exact address and the transfers on that journey. A district name alone is not enough to judge the daily route.
Metro İstanbul publishes metro, tram and funicular routes, including the M4 from Kadıköy towards Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Şehir Hatları runs crossings such as Kadıköy–Beşiktaş. Check the operators’ current timetables and service notices when planning an evening journey or a trip across the water.
For a first cultural day out, explore the Historic Peninsula around Sultanahmet and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. On another day, visit the passages around İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu. Check each venue’s own visitor information before setting out.
Use the operator’s current journey planner for timetables, fares and service changes.
Start with your campus, room-sharing preference, access needs and move-in date. These are comparison questions, not accommodation listings or availability promises.
Try the route at the time you expect to leave for class. Include changes, walking and the journey home. Ask about a campus shuttle if you plan to rely on one, and confirm its current stops and timetable.
There is no preset cost of living here. Enter current quotes and your own spending estimates to see how they add up. Every field starts empty.
Enter your own figures in Turkish lira. A comma or point works for decimals. Blank categories count as zero.
This calculator keeps figures only while this page is open. They are not sent to an advisor or saved to your account.
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Add your first estimate to begin the chart. No example prices have been filled in.
Tuition, deposits, travel to Türkiye and initial purchases are not included unless you add them yourself. This is your planning arithmetic, not a price quote or a recommended budget.
A workable week needs more than a timetable. Find the spaces, contacts and small routines that make it easier to take part.
Try the library, a quiet campus space and somewhere suitable for group work. Ask about opening hours, booking rules and borrowing materials before you need them during a busy week.
Look at your university’s current club and event listings. A familiar interest can make the first conversation easier. Check registration, equipment and any participation cost directly with the organiser.
Save the contacts for the international office, your department and student support. Ask which team handles accessibility, language support or wellbeing appointments, and how to reach them privately.
For Istanbul, start with the transport operators’ own maps and route search. Check service notices before travelling and confirm any fare or student-card eligibility with the operator.
Official links checked 14 October 2026Explore practical guides for choosing your studies and planning everyday life in Türkiye.
Browse all guidesKeep your campus, housing priorities and budget notes together when you contact your university or request guidance.
