How Expensive Is Fethiye?
Real Costs,  Turkey

How Expensive Is Fethiye?

How Much to Budget for One Month on the Turquoise Coast

From Istanbul we headed further south to the Turquoise Coast for sunshine, hiking and taking tea with the locals along the Mediterranean coastline. Exploring small fishing towns and spending our days outdoors offered a relaxing and restorative time after the high energy pace of Istanbul.

We spent four weeks in the small city of Fethiye, which was a great base for exploring the local area. Although Fethiye does have a touristy commercial centre, we were actually based in a suburb where we had access to kilometres of coastline for lazy afternoon walks. Overall our costs for a month were 36% less than what we spend in Istanbul. These were, of course, very different experiences. Istanbul was about historic sights and dining out and trying new street food. Fethiye was about enjoying a slower pace, some long-anticipated hiking and getting great value for our dollar. 

All amounts are in USD.

ItemBudget
Accommodations: A two-bedroom apartment in the suburbs — a total bargain in the low season. $695
Groceries: We had an occasional Turkish breakfast or pizza at one of the restaurants on the coastline but mostly we cooked. Meat and produce were high quality and inexpensive so we ate very well.  $244
Dining Out: A meal out every couple of days. Unlike Istanbul, there wasn’t as much high quality takeout food available. $174
Entertainment: The incredible hiking along the Turquoise Coast was, of course, totally free.$0
Local Transportation: Including a transfer from the airport ($43) and multiple trips on the inexpensive local bus around town and the local region. $73
Dog Expenses: Because dogs need to eat too!$49
Data: Our global data plan$25
Fitness: Two weeks of gym each ($8.50 per person per week)  and our online coaching program for weightlifting. For more on how we stay fit while traveling full time, here’s how we maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road. $40
Insurance: An essential for any travel. Our plan is a combination of health and travel insurance.$97
Storage: Although we downsized 95% of our possessions, we still have a few personal effects in storage back in Canada. This cost is cheaper than the previous month because we negotiated a better deal on our storage by signing up for a 6 month contract. For more on our approach to getting good deals, take a look at our video on how we cut monthly expenses by 40%$109
Total$1,506

For the complete look at our experience on the Turquoise Coast, we’ve got all the highlights here…

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Financial independence, early retirement and slow travel