A significant part of Russian tourists who had a rest in Turkey were shocked by the space prices for goods and services in this popular tourist country. The cheapest hamburger will cost 508 rubles, and for lunch in a restaurant you will have to pay 5,000 rubles. – nothing but robbery, they were indignant.
The holiday season is in full swing, but many Russians are facing high prices for tours to Turkey. Despite this, they prefer the Antalya coast to domestic resorts. Now, due to a sharp rise in the price of food and services, relocators are looking for new places to move or shrink in spending, and tourists who chose Turkey a year ago are looking for alternative vacation destinations. This is evidenced by the results of the survey: MK interviewed Russians vacationing in Turkey and prepared a review of shocking prices.
Shocking prices in Turkey
The interlocutors of the publication – Alexander, who had a rest in Antalya, Evgenia – in Kemer, Oksana – in Istanbul. They all talked about space price tags in Turkey.
The story of Alexander D., who recently returned from Antalya and spoke about his vacation: “A trip for two in a five-star hotel on an ultra all-inclusive system for 9 days cost 152,000 rubles. Our 1 year old traveled for free. In June, the price for such a tour is even more expensive – about 280,000 rubles. We flew by charter, Turkish Airlines. The guys from St. Petersburg rested with us. For four in 21 days, they got 525,000 rubles. Mostly in the hotel where Alexander lived, Germans, French, British lived. There were fewer Poles and Russians. The attitude towards Russian tourists from the Turks and Europeans was excellent. What was disappointing was the rise in food prices, especially baby puree, which is much more expensive than in Moscow.
Evgenia's review of the holidays in Kemer: the tourist decided to go to Turkey not only for recreation, but also to buy medicines. She noticed that prices for pharmaceutical preparations last year were significantly lower than in Russia. Although some medicines have become more expensive, she was able to find them at a lower price. ““A trip to Kemer cost 215,000 rubles for two. for 10 days. I had a list of drugs, but something had to be crossed off. Some drugs have risen in price by half. But some are much cheaper. For example, I bought a medicine that costs 900 rubles from us, and there 180 rubles. But in general, prices are space. Most of all, I was surprised by the cost of household chemicals, electrical appliances, and appliances. For example, the 14th model of the iPhone Pro Max with 256 GB of memory is 234,000 rubles. In Russia, you can find one for 125,000 rubles, despite the sanctions.” According to the traveler, the high prices for imported goods in Turkey are explained by “expensive customs clearance”, hence the unpleasant price tags for cars and equipment. “Prices for branded items have skyrocketed. Previously, the simplest Nike sneakers could be bought for $50-60, now for $113,” she compared.
Oksana's impressions of a vacation in Istanbul, the cultural capital of Turkey: a compatriot saved on food by visiting cheap cafes and street outlets. She noted that cheap restaurants now offer lunches ranging from 3,900 to 5,800 rubles, and the cheapest hamburger in a shopping center costs 508 rubles. translated from Turkish lira. “My husband and I spent $1,200 (97,000 rubles), but bought a little at Zara and Adidas. We ate in cheap cafes, away from the main streets, they were googled in advance. In canteens for locals, you can eat together for 200 lira (780 rubles). Street food is inexpensive, shawarma costs 50-100 liras (195-390 rubles. Museums are expensive, so they didn’t go inside, everyone looked from the outside. The Turks are waiting for inflation, so they break prices to stock up on dollars, ”she said.
Rise in the cost of living for Russian relocators
“At first, people left because of problems with obtaining a residence permit. 80% faced refusals. And then prices rose in Turkey, and the a new wave of relocation,” says Piotr, who lives in Istanbul. “A significant increase in the price of products and services occurred after the new year,” he added.
Prices continue to rise to this day. Often there are no price tags in the store, because. sellers do not have time to update them due to daily changes in the real cost of goods. “Beef vacuum packaging used to cost 740 rubles, but now it is sold for 2,300 rubles. A good piece of meat costs about 3,900 rubles. Minced meat, 400 grams, costs 400 rubles. In farmers' markets, located away from tourist areas, you can find more affordable meat at a price of 970-1,360 rubles. Red fish – from 1'400 rubles. Previously, coffee was always affordable and cost about 117 rubles, now it is 205 rubles.
Against the backdrop of unstoppable inflation and the high cost of living, fraud has become more common. Sellers beat off the goods twice, increase the weight in the price tags in order to take more from the buyer. And in pharmacies, prices are called at random. In restaurants, they can wind up the bill. Prices at the resorts have risen sharply, the cost of everything and everything has increased by 2-3 times. “A year ago, it was easy to find a room in a modest hotel for 500-1,000 rubles. per day, now there is nothing cheaper than $100 (8’000 rubles). It is no longer possible to live in Antalya on less than $1,000 (80,000 rubles). Those who used to often go to restaurants, to parties, now sit at home, work more, save. But Türkiye is not worth the money. The people are looking for a new place for relocation,” the Russian said.
But there are compatriots who have decided to adapt to the new reality, rather than run away from high prices in search of a better life. To do this, they shrink at the expense of all items of expenditure, including for rented housing: instead of prestigious areas in resort towns, they choose more remote, smaller areas. In their opinion, the situation is temporary. “We huddled as best we could. We spend at least 78’000 rubles. per month. We rent not so hot what kind of housing for 47’000 rubles. Utilities, internet and telephone costs 4,600 rubles. We eat modestly for 19’500-31’000 rubles. per month. We do not spend money on clothes, if necessary we buy underwear and socks – 2,000 rubles. We pray not to get sick, otherwise we will get money,” Mikhail from Kemer shared.
A Russian woman named Sogdiana said that she also learned to live modestly – on 24,000 rubles. with two children, while some Turkish families who have not acquired their own housing survive on 35,000 rubles: they do not see meat for months, they eat beans instead. “Life makes you adapt to any circumstances,” the interlocutor concluded.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Doctors called a simple exercise that predicts how long a person will live.”