For nomads & remote workers · Written from Istanbul
Make Istanbul
work for you.
Your guide to living and working in Istanbul. Where to stay, how to get connected, where to work and what to sort out when you arrive.
Here for a few weeks or settling in for longer? Start with what you need today.
Start here
Where are you in your Istanbul plans?
01
Planning a stay
Choose a neighbourhood, work out a budget and understand your visa options.
02
Arriving soon
Get from the airport, get online and sort out your first few days.
03
Living & working here
Find a workspace, manage everyday essentials and meet people.
Before you book a place
Choose the neighbourhood
before the apartment.
Think about where you will work, how you want to spend your evenings and which journeys you will make every day. Use the area guides to narrow your search, then read the rental checklist before sending a deposit.
Recently updated
Practical guides for your stay
Starter
Istanbul Museum Hours & Müzekart: Checked Monthly at Source
13 Istanbul museums: opening hours, box office closing times and Müzekart validity, read from the Ministry's own pages. Only one publishes a foreign-visitor entry fee.
Updated
Starter
Best eSIM for Turkey: Checked September 2026, From Istanbul
19 international eSIM sites and 3 Turkish operators checked from Istanbul. Four international and all three domestic sites loaded. Dated prices, access results and purchase evidence.
Updated
Starter
Turkey eSIM Block (2026): What Still Works After BTK Blocked 37 Stores
Checked from Istanbul, Sept 2026. BTK names ~37 blocked eSIM stores; we tested 19 and 15 were unreachable. Options after landing, domestic eSIMs with a Turkish number, and a 15% code.
Updated
Starter
What Is Blocked in Turkey: Checked September 2026, From Istanbul
Booking.com, eSIM stores and VPN websites: dated access checks from Turkey, a sourced timeline of reported restrictions and open data.
Updated
Starter
Hotels Near Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen, by Flight Time
Early flight, late arrival or layover: sleep in the terminal, the airport hotel cluster, or the city. Distances, night transport and 2026 transfer costs for IST and SAW, booked from inside Turkey.
Updated
Cost
Three Months in Istanbul: A Realistic Budget for Your Stay (2026)
Plan a three-month Istanbul stay with an editable budget calculator, furnished-rental checks, monthly spending allowances and deposits kept separate from costs.
Updated
For a longer-term move
Considering Turkish tax residency?
Explore the foreign-income exemption, check which eligibility questions apply to you and prepare for a conversation with a qualified adviser.
Who's writing this
Written from Istanbul
Nomad Istanbul is written by a small Turkish-born team living in Istanbul. We write the guides we would send a friend moving here: choosing a neighbourhood, sorting out a SIM, finding a workspace and understanding the paperwork.
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Making Istanbul home for 3+ months?
We’re bringing together people living here or planning their move. Get to know people who’ll be around for more than a weekend.
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