Moving to Turkey in 2024. Pros and cons of living in Alanya

Hi, my name is Katya. Today I want to discuss with you on an urgent topic: Whether it is worth moving to Turkey in 2024. Turkey has changed beyond recognition in recent years. It has literally turned into a mini Europe with its high prices and standard of living. We have been living in Alanya for several years now. I want to tell you what is a plus and a minus for us in life in this city.

Turkish Economy 2024

I will start with one of the significant disadvantages – the economy in the country. In Turkey, inflation is one hundred percent. Although it has been declining for the last few months, apparently before the presidential election. For example, 3 years ago it was possible to buy an apartment for 45 thousand euros, but now there are simply no such prices. Prices start from 90 thousand euros and above. The same applies to food, gasoline prices, and medical services.

Medicine in Turkey

Here is another example. I recently went to the medical center. I have insurance, which is done with an annual residence permit. So, a year ago I gave 150 lire for such a visit to the doctor, and this year, even on insurance, I gave 1000 lire. Or, for example, if earlier we went to local cafes and gave a total check of 100 lira for several dishes, now for such an amount you can buy only one dish. In addition, appliances, electronic equipment, household appliances in Turkey are quite high. For example, you knew that Turkey has the most expensive iPhones. And now in Turkey, to buy a car, you need to have a decent amount of money right now. Prices have increased several times and a car is now not a means of transportation, but a kind of luxury.

Traffic Laws

Since I’m talking about cars, I want to say that they have their own driving rules here. For example, there are many pedestrian crossings here, but the driver is always right. That is, a pedestrian waits diligently and is afraid to cross the road if he sees that the car is traveling at speed and will not slow down. Unless, of course, it concerns traffic lights, where the car will be red and the pedestrian will be green. These are the rules. You can get used to them. For me personally, this is a minus, but for you, as a motorist, it may be a plus.

Earthquakes in Turkey

The actual issue is earthquakes. Yes, indeed, earthquakes in Turkey are frequent in winter. But Alanya is located in a safe seismic zone, and this means that we can feel calm. In this 2023 year, when it was shaking, we felt the tremors, but they were insignificant, literally by several points. Some did not even wake up at night, and learned about the earthquake only when they came to work. A nuclear power plant is being built 200 kilometers from Alanya. This is a multibillion-dollar project, and this nuclear power plant is located in the same seismic zone as Alanya. So I hope that they have accurately considered and calculated everything. By the way, more than 90 percent of the destroyed buildings in the earthquake were built before 2000. After 2001, a law was passed and construction quality control bodies appeared in the country. Therefore, when buying a property, pay attention to the year of construction. It is very important.

Buying an apartment in Alanya

Another significant disadvantage from our observations. Look, you bought yourself an apartment with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea and two years later they put a house in front of you and blocked the whole view. That’s actually the truth. It can happen. Therefore, be careful when you choose an apartment for yourself. First, look at what’s around you. If there are municipal parks nearby, that’s great, they definitely won’t build anything there. But if you have a large piece of land in front of you, then most likely there will be several houses that will block your view. That’s why a lot of people then resell apartments and move further into the mountains to be sure that the view will always remain.

Another of our observations is the low noise insulation in houses. That is, it doesn’t matter how much a house costs, it can be cheap or expensive, but you will hear your neighbors one hundred percent clearly and well.

Heating and electricity

Winter has passed, and now there is no central heating in Alanya. To keep the apartment warm, you have to turn on an electric heater or an air conditioner. Of course, it is very good if the apartment faces the sunny side or there are heated floors, due to this, then it will be directly warm. But this leads to another disadvantage – electricity, in Alanya the price for it is quite high. For example, this winter we turned on the electric heater literally 4 hours a day and gave away around 1000 liras in a month. For some it is expensive, for others it is cheap. But look, if you constantly heat the apartment, that is, 24/7, let’s say there are small children, then the amount will be 3-4 times more expensive monthly. For example, if you have a 3+1 apartment, then up to 10 thousand liras can be released per month. Here everything is at your discretion.

Mosques and azan

Turkey is a Muslim country. There are mosques in every district here and they pray five times a day. That is, the imam calls for prayer through a loudspeaker. At first, those who have never been to Turkey may be a little shocked, because it is quite loud. We are already used to it and don’t even notice it.

Obtaining a residence permit

In 2023, the rules for applying for a residence permit were tightened and at the moment this procedure is really complicated. It is necessary to contact specialists so that they can help you assemble the package of documents that the Gec will definitely accept and take up consideration. Well, I also want to draw attention to the fact that at the moment almost no one is given a tourist residence permit. To do a residence permit by Tap, that is, by right of ownership of property.

Prices in stores

I also want to draw attention to such a disadvantage as the pricing policy, which is formed by the locals. That is, it can be somewhere in a local shop, where a local merchant just stands, or in small shops with household appliances. Well, first of all, you won’t see the price. That is, you need to first go through the entire store, choose what you like, then approach the manager and the manager will already tell you the price. By the way, this also applies to furniture stores, that is, there are no price tags there. But in local shops, let’s say you come up and choose a sweater for yourself. The Turk tells you the amount of 500 lire and a local will immediately come up, and he will sell it to a local for 100 lire. That’s the pricing policy here. And that’s why they trade in stores here. That is, this thing does not cost so much money, the locals know its real value. And now you know that in Turkey, that’s why it’s worth haggling.

Turkish cuisine

Many people love Turkish cuisine. This is not surprising. Lamb meat, plus salads and very tasty sweets. If you don’t eat fried, spicy, or too sweet, then Turkish cuisine may not suit you. Turkish cuisine is much cheaper than European cuisine, if you compare it in a Turkish institution, for example, a meat kebab will cost 100 lira, and in a European one croissant can be 90 lira there. That is, this is the difference in price. But Turkish cuisine in the near future, if you are here permanently, you will simply get tired of it and you will cook at home or go to more expensive restaurants.

For me personally, another disadvantage is that in Turkey they smoke a lot at once and if you do not smoke, then this will be a significant disadvantage for you. You will need to be alone so as not to breathe this tobacco smoke.

Climate, fruits and hospitality

Let’s move on to the pros. I want to say that it’s February 2023. We have great weather outside, somewhere around 20 degrees above zero and it’s a thrill, because there are 300 sunny days a year in the city. In addition, there are fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood. We adhere to a healthy lifestyle and try to include more fiber in our diet, that is, fruits, vegetables and seafood. Just the same, if you like it, and you are also for proper nutrition, then Alanya is perfect for you. There are many green areas in Alanya, there are children’s playgrounds that are located in the park, plus many park areas, plus equipped embankments. Along this embankment, you can ride a bike and a scooter, plus go in for sports, play table tennis and much more. That is, there is such a leisure here, it is fully formed, there will always be something to do on the coast.

There are a lot of newcomers in Turkey now, so to speak. But the Turks treat us very well and hospitably. In general, I want to tell you such a personal story. We went to the mountains one day, got lost and we had to ask someone for directions. We stopped at the nearest house to ask for directions. So, they met us and not only answered our question about how to get there, but also invited us into the house, showed us how they live, told us what they do, put us on the veranda with a stunning view of the mountains, fed us nuts and gave us three packages of food for the road, which we then ate with pleasure and they remembered about Turkish hospitality.

There are two Christian churches in Alanya. One can be said to be such a tourist destination, tourists are brought there on large buses, and one small, closed one is located high in the mountains. The way to it is not so easy, it takes 20-30 minutes, but it’s worth it. There is a stunning view and a very friendly priest who paints the church inside with his own hands.

Location of Alanya

Alanya has a great location, you can fly from two airports both on domestic and international flights. Another advantage that I would like to note is security. Alanya is very safe in terms of even walking in the evenings. You will never meet locals here in some kind of incompetent state, that is, everyone will smile at you. If you need help, they will definitely help and prompt you.

Turkish pharmacies

One of the advantages is Turkish pharmacies. There are high-quality drugs and medicines here and they are lower in cost than, for example, in Russia. Just recently I bought a cream, I gave only 55 lira for it, that’s 200 rubles. I looked at the website of pharmacies in Russia, the price of the same cream is 3200 rubles. Here is such a significant difference. The quality is really good here. And what’s more interesting, when you have some kind of need to purchase medicine, you can safely come to the pharmacy, and there will most likely be a Russian-speaking pharmacist who will definitely tell you in your question.

About cats

In general, Alanya is for those who love seals. That’s where you just don’t go, everywhere you will see a purring cat lying around and basking in the sun, or it is fed and you can pet it, have fun. There are even houses for cats where you can bring food. They have their own houses there, which cover them from the rain.

Infrastructure in new building complexes

Another plus is that if you have ever been to Turkey, you know exactly what the level of a five-star hotel is. So, we own an apartment here, and the complex has its own swimming pool, sauna, gym and much more. That is, of course, all complexes are different, but the infrastructure here in an apartment building is exactly the same as in a five-star hotel. This is an absolute plus, in my opinion, because you can stay in the residential complex and get all the infrastructure inside. Swim in the pool when it’s hot outside, or go to the hammam when it’s cold, also play tennis or badminton. All the entertainment is available on the territory of the complex.

Work, what to do

Many people are concerned about the issue of work when moving. I work in online consulting and I have clients all over the world, plus I run a Youtube channel and talk about life in Alanya. If you are a master in any business, there are many beauty salons where you will definitely find a use for yourself. But if you are a man with hands and know how to fix a faucet or make internal repairs, then you will be taken away with hands and feet, because such masters are worth their weight in gold.

Travel in Turkey

Another absolute plus for me is that you can travel around Alanya itself. There are many historical places worth visiting, there are stunning viewpoints, roads that lead into the mountains to the snow, stunningly closed coves where you can swim with emerald clear water and such wild places where no tourist has traveled.

Why did I choose Alanya?

Despite the pros and cons, and they are absolutely in any city, we chose Alanya for love. I’ll say this:

Alanya is a kind of resort town that is developed, it has all the infrastructure, but at the same time it feels somehow special here. That is, it is not a megacity, the population here cannot be compared, for example, with Antalya, and Alanya has a cool location.

Yes, I have already said that there are several airports. And if you want to stay in a megalopolis and feel this rhythm of life, then you can safely go to Antalya, take a walk there, go to the aquarium, zoo, visit many restaurants, cafes, plus go to exhibitions and Art galleries and feel like you are in a megalopolis. But then it’s nice to come back. Here we have a quiet, azure sea, beautiful landscapes and privacy and comfort. I have shared with you my personal thoughts about the pros and cons of living on the coast in the city of Alanya. I have traveled to many countries of the world and visited many cities in Russia and abroad, I chose Alanya for myself. And now I don’t even doubt my choice. See you soon!

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