The Turkish lira, cards and cash, ATMs and exchange offices, tipping and bargaining — how to handle money well on a trip, without out-of-date numbers.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Money in Türkiye is straightforward once you know a few local habits. The currency is the Turkish lira, cards are accepted almost everywhere in cities and resorts, cash machines are easy to find, and tipping is modest and informal. The main things to watch are fees — at certain ATMs and card terminals — and the fact that prices have changed quickly in recent years. This guide explains how the system works; it deliberately gives no exchange rates or exact prices, because those move too fast for any reference page to keep up with. Check a live rate and recent traveller reports shortly before you go.
The currency is the Turkish lira (Türk lirası), international code TRY, divided into 100 kuruş. Its symbol, ₺, was introduced in 2012: a stylised L crossed by two strokes. In shops you will also see prices written as "TL" after the number, the everyday abbreviation. Banknotes carry a portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the front, and coins come in several kuruş values and a one-lira piece, although the smallest coins are now of little practical use.
Older visitors may remember prices in the millions. Through the 1980s and 1990s Türkiye experienced chronic high inflation, and by the early 2000s everyday sums ran to six or seven digits. On 1 January 2005 the government introduced the Yeni Türk Lirası (New Turkish Lira, YTL), removing six zeros: one new lira replaced 1,000,000 old lira, and the international code changed from TRL to TRY. A few years later the word "new" was dropped, and the currency became simply the Turkish lira again. Old pre-2005 notes are no longer legal tender, and any you find in a drawer are souvenirs.
After a period of relative stability in the 2000s, inflation rose again and became very high from around 2021, peaking in 2022, while the lira lost a large share of its value against the euro and US dollar. Inflation has since eased from that peak but has remained high by European standards. For visitors this has two practical consequences. First, prices in lira change often — menus, taxi tariffs and entrance fees are revised far more frequently than in most countries, so a guidebook or blog price from even a year ago may be badly out of date. Second, Türkiye is no longer automatically as cheap for foreigners as it once was: costs in Istanbul and the major resorts have risen sharply in euro and dollar terms, while smaller towns and the interior generally remain better value. The economy overview covers the background in more detail.
Some prices aimed at visitors are quoted in foreign currency. Many major state museums and archaeological sites now set foreign-visitor ticket prices in euros (payable in lira at the day's rate or by card), and some hotels, tour operators and carpet dealers price in euros or dollars. Everyday costs — food, transport, shopping — are in lira.
Card payment is the norm in Türkiye's cities. Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, including contactless and mobile wallets, are accepted in most restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, hotels, shops and many taxis. American Express is accepted less widely. Türkiye also has its own domestic card scheme, Troy, which you will see on terminals but will not need.
Cash still matters in several situations: small cafés, simit sellers and street food; village shops and pensions in rural areas; markets; public toilets, which often charge a small fee; tips; and some minibuses (dolmuş). In Istanbul, public transport runs on the rechargeable Istanbulkart, which can be topped up at machines with cash or, at many machines, by card. A sensible approach is to use a card for larger purchases and keep a modest amount of lira in small notes for everything else.
Cash machines — ATM or bankamatik — are everywhere in towns and cities, often clustered in groups of several banks. They offer an English-language option and accept foreign cards on the major networks. Fees are where it pays to be careful:
When you pay by card or withdraw cash, a terminal or ATM will often offer to charge you in your home currency instead of lira. This is called dynamic currency conversion, and the rate it uses almost always includes a markup that is worse than your own bank's conversion. The screen may frame it as a convenience or a "guaranteed rate". Decline it every time: choose to pay in lira (TRY) and let your bank do the conversion. If a waiter hands you a card machine already set to your home currency, ask them to switch it to lira before you enter your PIN.
If you bring cash, the best place to exchange it is usually a döviz office — a licensed private exchange bureau, recognisable by electronic boards showing buying and selling rates. They are common in city centres, around bazaars and in tourist districts, and they typically offer better rates and lower margins than banks, hotels or airport counters. Euros, US dollars and pounds sterling are the easiest currencies to exchange; bring clean, undamaged notes, as worn or marked notes may be refused. Compare the buying and selling rates on the board — a narrow gap signals a fair office — and count your money before leaving. It is generally sensible to change only a small amount at the airport and the rest in town.
Tipping (bahşiş) is customary but not obligatory, and it is modest compared with North America. Some general norms:
Around 5–10% is usual for good service in sit-down restaurants, often left in cash even when paying by card. Check the bill first: some places add a service charge (servis ücreti). In cafés and simple eateries, rounding up or leaving small change is enough.
Tipping is not expected; rounding up to a convenient figure is common. Make sure the meter (taksimetre) is running, or agree the fare in advance for fixed routes.
A tip for the attendant who gives the scrub and massage is customary. Some baths include service in the price; ask at the desk if unsure.
On private tours and multi-day trips, a tip at the end for a good guide and driver is standard practice. Hotel porters and housekeeping staff appreciate a small tip too.
Haggling is part of shopping in some places and inappropriate in others. It is expected in the Grand Bazaar and other covered markets, at souvenir stalls and, above all, when buying carpets, kilims, leather, jewellery and antiques. Treat it as a friendly negotiation rather than a contest: have a rough idea of what you are willing to pay, let the seller make the first offer, and do not start bargaining for something you have no intention of buying. Accepting a glass of tea is a normal courtesy and does not oblige you to buy. Tea is simply how business is done.
Prices are fixed in supermarkets, chain stores, shopping malls, pharmacies, restaurants, cafés and public transport, and trying to haggle there will cause confusion. Hotel rates may be negotiable for longer stays or out of season, and taxi fares should be metered.
Because prices change so quickly, it is more useful to describe budget levels than to give numbers:
The biggest variables are where you go, when you travel and how much you drink: alcohol is heavily taxed, so wine and beer add up quickly. The coastal high season is markedly more expensive than spring or autumn — see the best time to visit — and major sights and balloon flights are significant costs worth budgeting for separately.
Most goods and services in Türkiye include value-added tax, known as KDV. Visitors who live outside Türkiye can usually reclaim part of the KDV on goods bought at participating shops, typically those displaying a "Tax Free" sign, provided the purchase meets a minimum spend. The process generally works like this: ask for a tax-free form at the time of purchase and keep your passport handy; take the unused goods out of the country within the permitted period; have the form stamped by customs at your point of departure before check-in; and then claim the refund at the operator's desk at the airport or later by card transfer. Refund operators deduct a handling fee. The rules, thresholds and procedures change, so check the current conditions with the shop and at the airport. Services such as hotels and restaurants are not refundable.
The Turkish lira (TRY), shown with the symbol ₺ or written as TL, and divided into 100 kuruş. Some visitor-facing prices, such as many major museum tickets and some hotels and tours, are quoted in euros, but everyday spending is in lira.
Both. Cards, including contactless, are widely accepted in cities, hotels, restaurants and shops. Keep some lira in small notes for street food, small cafés, rural areas, markets, tips and public toilets. Bank ATMs are easy to find, though most charge foreign cards a fee.
Always choose lira. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in euros, pounds or dollars, it is using dynamic currency conversion, which usually applies a worse rate than your own bank. Selecting TRY lets your card issuer do the conversion.
Around 5–10% for good service in sit-down restaurants is usual, unless a service charge is already on the bill. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but rounding up is common. Hammam attendants, tour guides and drivers are customarily tipped.
In bazaars, souvenir stalls and carpet shops, yes: haggling is normal and should be friendly. In supermarkets, chain stores, restaurants, pharmacies and on public transport, prices are fixed and bargaining is not appropriate.
Visitors resident outside Türkiye can usually reclaim part of the VAT (KDV) on goods bought at participating tax-free shops above a minimum spend. Get the form in the shop, have it stamped by customs when you leave, and claim at the airport refund desk. Check current rules, as thresholds and procedures change.