Based on 11 student reviews
Student Housing in Istanbul.
11 exchange students told us where they lived in Istanbul and what they paid. Median rent: $513 a month.
Where students actually live
Out of the 11 students who reviewed Istanbul, here is how they split across housing types. Coliving or shared flat came out on top at 45%.
- Coliving or shared flat45%
5 students
- Private apartment27%
3 students
- Airbnb27%
3 students
What students really pay
Across 6 students who told us their rent, the middle figure in Istanbul was $513 a month. The cheapest paid $427, the most expensive $594. These are amounts actually paid, not asking prices.
Converted to USD at the time each review was submitted.
The areas students chose
The neighbourhoods students named when we asked where they lived in Istanbul:
- Kadikoy
- Besiktas
- Beşiktaş
- Kadiköy
- Kadikoy on the Asian side
- Şişli mecidiyekoy
Listed by how often students mentioned them, not by our opinion.
Student residences in Istanbul
None of the students who reviewed Istanbul stayed in a student residence, which usually means there is little university-run housing open to exchange students. Plan on a shared flat or coliving instead.
Cheap student accommodation in Istanbul
The cheapest rent reported in Istanbul was $427 a month, against a median of $513. What separates the two is almost always the same three things: sharing a flat rather than renting alone, living one transport zone out from the centre, and signing for a full semester rather than month to month.
Erasmus housing in Istanbul
Erasmus and exchange students in Istanbul face the same problem: a lease that has to start and end with the semester, signed from another country, often without a local guarantor. That is why coliving or shared flat is the most common answer here rather than a standard rental. The 11 reviews below come from students who did exactly that.
When to start looking
Start looking as soon as your exchange is confirmed. The students who struggled in Istanbul were, almost without exception, the ones who waited until they arrived.
Join the Istanbul group before you search: rooms circulate there before they reach any listing site.
Questions about housing in Istanbul
- How much does student housing cost in Istanbul?
- The median rent reported by 6 students in Istanbul is $513 a month, ranging from $427 to $594. These are figures students actually paid, collected through our reviews.
- Where do exchange students live in Istanbul?
- The areas students named most often are Kadikoy, Besiktas, Beşiktaş, Kadiköy, Kadikoy on the Asian side, Şişli mecidiyekoy.
- What kind of housing do students choose in Istanbul?
- Coliving or shared flat is the most common answer at 45%, out of 11 students who reviewed Istanbul.
- When should I start looking for housing in Istanbul?
- As soon as your exchange is confirmed. Rooms that suit a single semester are the first to go, and arriving without anything booked is the single most common regret in these reviews.
- Are there student residences in Istanbul?
- None of the students who reviewed Istanbul reported staying in a student residence, so plan on a shared flat or coliving instead.
- How can I find cheap student accommodation in Istanbul?
- Share rather than rent alone, look one transport zone out from the centre, and commit to a full semester. The students at the bottom of the range in Istanbul did all three.
Where these numbers come from
11 exchange students who lived in Istanbul filled in our review form after their semester. Every figure on this page is computed from their answers. Nothing here is an estimate.
Where students review the most
The cities students told us the most about.
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