What money is used in Turkey?

In Turkey, they use the Turkish Lira (Türk Lirası). The lira is the official currency of the country, and it’s used throughout Turkey. When it comes to how much things cost, you’ll see prices quoted as TL or TRY and the symbol ₺.

Turkish Lira comes in the following denominations:

How much cash should you take to Turkey?

It depends on how long you’re going for and where you’re travelling to. You’ll also want to factor into your budget any trips, excursions or entry fees you may have to pay during your trip, as well as money for food and drink.

Average prices in Turkey

The cost of living in Turkey is about half that of the UK [1], so you should find things a little cheaper here. But it does depend on where you visit. You might find that Istanbul is a bit more expensive than the tourist areas along the coast.

How much does food cost in Turkey?

This depends on where you’re eating. For a three-course meal for two people in a mid-range restaurant, you can expect to pay around 1,200 TL. But you can eat much cheaper than that. Head to the local Turkish places and you can get a meal for two for around 300 TL. Just remember that in many local spots you won’t be able to buy alcohol.

You can also pick up street food snacks like gozleme (Turkish pancakes) and borek (rolled pastry) for much less.

How much do drinks cost in Turkey?

When it comes to drinking in Turkey, you can usually get a 0.5 litre draught beer for around 110 TL. This will likely be the local beer, Efes. You’ll pay more for an imported beer, at 150 TL for a 33ml bottle.

When grabbing a coffee, you can expect to spend around 100 TL, while a Coke will set you back 45 TL and a bottle of water around 17 TL.

How much do tourist attractions cost?

A lot of tourist attractions in Turkey are free for locals, but you’ll need to pay as a tourist. And you may be a little surprised at some of the costs. For example, a ticket to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul will set you back 1,700 TL [2]. You can also visit Hagia Irene and Harem too, it’s included in the cost. For Hagia Sophia, you’re looking at around 850 TL or 25 Euros [3].

There are some attractions for free in Istanbul. For example, you can enter the Blue Mosque for free and wander around the Grand Bazaar. But at the Grand Bazaar you’ll likely end up parting with some cash to buy souvenirs from the traders.

How much does travel cost in Turkey?

If you’re travelling on local transport – like the Dolmus buses that you see everywhere – tickets are cheap as you’ll pay local prices. You can expect to pay around 20 TL for a one-way ticket. Taxis can be expensive, with a starting tariff of around 30 TL and 20 TL per kilometre. If you’re hiring a car, a litre of petrol will set you back around 40 TL.

Can you use euros in Turkey?

The lira is the official currency of Turkey and is accepted everywhere in the country. You may see prices quoted as euros in some tourist attractions in Istanbul and you can pay in euros or Turkish Lira. Some vendors in Istanbul may accept euros, but it’s always best to travel with lira in your pocket so you can be sure that you can pay everywhere you go.

What is the exchange rate for Turkish Lira?

The Turkish Lira can be quite a volatile currency, with inflation in Turkey [4] often changing the exchange rate. Currently, you’ll get 43.86 Turkish Lira for one pound.

Rates taken from Asda foreign exchange calculator. At time of publishing – April 2025.

Where can I buy Turkish Lira?

You can buy Turkish Lira with Asda Money. Order your lira online and select Click & Collect to collect your money for free from a selected Asda store near you. Come and grab it while you’re doing your weekly shop. Or have it delivered right to your door – next day home delivery is free for orders over £500 and £4.99 on orders over £350 (if order before 2pm, Monday to Thursday).

And we’ll even beat the Turkish Lira exchange rate of any travel bureau within five miles with our Price Promise.

How to pay in Turkey

You can pay in a variety of ways in Turkey. All shops, bars and restaurants will accept cash, and most will offer the chance to pay contactless on your credit or debit card. If you’re shopping in a market or buying from street food vendors, don’t expect to be able to pay on your card as most won’t have the technology.

If you don’t want to carry too much cash and want to avoid foreign transaction fees on your card, consider an Asda Travel Money Card. Simply pre-load currency and pay contactless or withdraw cash from the ATM without being charged.

[1] numbeo.com

[2] palacetopkapi.com

[3] muze.gen.tr

[4] think.ing.com