Job Discussion Forums

[Sharon Meredith]

OK I have an interview for a job in a University in Turkey. I have a BA, MA, DipEd CELTA and lots of years of experience yes I am old.

I have many questions if you want to save money (odd I know) how do you do that? How can you change Turkish currency? What is the cost of living like in Turkey?

Are there teaching breaks in the academic year?

Most of the entries on this website seem to be laudatory towards Turkey.

Would anybody like to offer general information.

[Shalana]

I can offer some info based on my recently having started working here. The biggest expense is startup. I rented a furnished two bedroom flat and had to pay first month's rent, a deposit which was equal to two month's rent and a real estate agency fee of 1000 lira. The agency wanted 1500 lira but someone at my school talked them down.

You also need to figure out when you get your first paycheck and how much will it be? I started working on July 9 and will not see a full paycheck until September 15.

You can probably get currency exchanged at any bank. If you go to an ATM and withdraw cash, you will get Turkish lira, but some give you a choice of currency.

The rate is approximately 1 US dollar equal to 1.28 lira. I use the website www.xe.com.

Some things here are way more expensive than in the US like cosmetics. I paid 22 lıra for some foundation that I could have gotten in the US for half that price or less. I went into a vitamin store and they wanted 25 lira for a bottle of 50 B-complex vitamins. I had to buy bedsheets for a double size bed and finally found some for as little as 40 lira. I am sure there are better deals out there but you have to know where to look.

[Sharon Meredith]

Thank you Shalana. Start up expenses are substantial to say the least. the information about cosmetics and vitamins very useful.

[billybuzz]

Sharon ,the job offer you've had or are considering care to share with us the name of the uni i or even the city that may produce some more helpful replies ,for instance ,what sort of package for foreign teachers do they offer may greatly improve your start up expenses .

[Sharon Meredith]

billybuzz

The job is in Izmir. What is the usual salary and package for uni lecturers starting up. Is there a break in the teaching year? Are Unis usually well resourced?

I know nothing anything would be helpful.

[scot47]

If you have US$ and want Turkish Lira go to a 'Bureau de Change' - but not at the airport. There is a universal economic law that states that all Bureaux de Change at Airports give terrible rates and charge enormous commission !

[dagi]

I agree with Shalana, one should never underestimate the start up costs. Being new to a country you often end up buying more expensive things, cause one still needs to find out about the places that give you the good deals.
With a normal package that includes a reasonable salary, some housing allowance and relocation benefit you should be able to have a decent life and also be able to safe some money.
My salary is not top notch, but I have a very good life. Like Shalana said, some things are more expensive but on the other side lots of things are a also a lot cheaper here.
At the end of the day I earn the same amount of money than what I did before when I lived in the Netherlands, but it allows me a much higher living standard.

[batukhan]

Anything less then 2200 turkish lira and you will be supplementing your income with resources from home. This is not at a middle middle class lifestyle but at a lower middle class lifestyle. Things that are cheaper vegetables, fruit and public transport,cigarettes, meals out if you eat in decent but not upscale restaurants. These things are cheaper but not astronomically so. Everything else is so expensive not just relative to income but also in real dollars. Mixed alcohol drinks are so expensive you will be so shocked or decent wine. . People live on less if you call it living. Eating pasta and rice everyday with nothing on it is not living.