The Cheapest Turkish Cities to Buy Real Estate

Potential immigrants to Turkey often do not have enough money to buy a property in big cities like Istanbul or Izmir. Read on to learn more about cheaper alternatives.

• Trabzon
• Dalaman
• Kayseri
• Didim
• Mardin

Trabzon

Trabzon, a city by the Black Sea, is a great place for investing in real estate. The residential property prices here are some of the lowest in Turkey.

Trabzon is a big trading town in northeastern Turkey, located at the foot of the Kolat mountain. There is an international airport just six kilometres outside the city. You can easily travel from Trabzon to Ankara, Istanbul, or Izmir. You can take a coach bus from Trabzon to any big Turkish city.

Unlike Istanbul, Trabzon is not popular with expats wishing to buy a house or a flat. The majority of real estate buyers in Trabzon are from the Middle East and in most cases, they purchase properties for their family members. Trabzon is a rather conservative city, so it may not appeal to all foreigners.

However, real estate in Trabzon is also popular with Europeans, who prefer the southern and the western coast of the city. Here, you can find a few areas with nice flats in new buildings as well as some villas with picturesque waterfront terraces.

Trabzon is a meeting place for several cultures, languages, and religions, and is famous for its ancient Byzantine sights. The most popular landmarks in Trabzon are the Hagia Sofia mosque built in the 13th century and the Sumela Monastery, which was created in the 4th century on the edge of the cliff. Trabzon also has beautiful scenery, such as the Uzungöl mountain lake.

Trabzon has a subtropical climate, which means the summers here are warm but not hot, and winters are not cold either. October and November are usually rainy. The sea is quite cold even in summer, and there are not a lot of beaches in Trabzon. If you want to relax by the sea, it’s better to go to one of the neighbouring provinces. This is another factor that explains the low property prices in Trabzon.

However, it is one of the best cities to study in Turkey. There are two major universities in Trabzon: Trabzon University and Karadeniz Technical University. Both offer a great variety of study programmes for international students.

The prices for one-bedroom flats in Trabzon start at $50,000, while the cheapest villas cost $400,000.

Dalaman

If you are looking for a quiet place to spend your retirement and live close to nature, check out the Dalaman resort in Muğla Province. This is a city on the Mediterranean coast, near Marmaris and Fethiye. Dalaman has an international airport with the same name located a few kilometres out of the city. Many people considering moving to Turkey say that Marmaris is one of the cheapest places in Turkey to buy property.

The key thing to remember is that Dalaman is a city for a quiet and peaceful life. There are not as many entertainment options as in the neighbouring Marmaris or Dalyan. Dalaman also lacks interesting landmarks. People mostly lead a quiet life here. However, you can enjoy the beach entertainment facilities and rent a yacht or a boat, or go scuba-diving, and there are water rides for children. 

The scenery around Dalaman is very picturesque, with beautiful views of the valleys with orange and olive trees. Dalaman boasts amazing sandy beaches and very clean water. It is also famous for its many thermal springs — you can visit one of the spas and take advantage of the treatments and wellness procedures on offer.

Developers have built many beautiful and comfortable properties in Dalaman. There are options for every taste and budget, from small studios to spacious villas with pools and gardens.

The minimum budget for any homeowner or investor in real estate in Dalaman is $60,000. This is enough to buy a small one-bedroom flat. However, there are many more flats available that start at $100,000. You can buy a villa in Dalaman for $270,000 with a total area of 140 square metres and two bedrooms.

Kayseri

Kayseri is quite a large city in central Turkey, to the southeast of Ankara. It is also one of the best places in Turkey to buy cheap real estate. Kayseri’s real estate market has grown in recent years and the city appeals to people who want to buy a property to live there and to foreign investors.

Kayseri is mostly famous for two things: it is a good starting point to visit Cappadocia and to go skiing down Mount Erciyes. It takes just 30 minutes to get from the city centre to the skiing resort on the top of the mountain.

Kayseri has an international airport with regular flights to Istanbul, Izmir, and Antalya. You can also travel from Kayseri to the major Turkish cities by bus or train. Buyers are attracted by the comfortable and well-developed infrastructure of Kayseri, as well as its clean and tranquil streets.

However, the local weather may not appeal to everyone, as summers in Kayseri are very hot and arid (the temperature rises up to 35 or 40 degrees), while the winters are cold (with the temperature going down to 20 degrees below zero). Kayseri is located at around 1000 metres above sea level.

The city is an important economic centre with textile, car, and food manufacturing. Moreover, there are several universities, which may be an important feature for students and scientists considering immigration. The cost of living in Kayseri is relatively low when compared to European cities or Turkish metropolises. Residential housing prices are quite affordable, especially for those who work remotely.

The city is surrounded by mountains, so there are many beautiful private villa communities on the hills on the outskirts of the city. The streets of Kayseri are usually quiet and empty in the winter and you can easily find a flat in high-rise buildings close to the centre. Many new residential complexes with various properties are being built in Kayseri. The prices for such real estate start at about $300 or $350 per square metre.

Didim

Didim is another popular place to buy real estate. This is a resort city on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, in southwestern Turkey, around 200 kilometres south of Izmir. The population of Didim is almost 97,000 people and the city does not have an airport. The nearest airport is in Bodrum, about 100 kilometres away, which may be a drawback for potential buyers.

Didim is very popular among foreign pensioners. Some rent a property, while others prefer to buy their own house. Didim is one of the cheapest places to buy real estate in Turkey. Prices do not rise because there are plenty of buildings and vacant plots available on the real estate market.

Didim is a pretty comfortable place to live — the city’s roads and utility systems have improved over the past ten years. People choose Didim because of the one of the longest sandy beaches on the Aegean coast. The Altinkum beach (Turkish for "golden sands") has been awarded with a Blue Flag. Didim also has a marina, which appeals to sailing enthusiasts.

Life in Didim is slower and more peaceful than in other popular resort cities, though you can always go to a local bar, disco, or club. Didim has many excellent restaurants, spas, a water park, and other entertainment facilities for children. If you are a nature lover and want some peace and quiet, there are stunning and deserted bays located just outside the city.

The prices for one-bedroom flats in Didim start at $92,000 and the cheapest villas start from $230,000.

Mardin

Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey, in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is a historically significant province, a popular tourist destination, and one of the most unusual and interesting cities in Turkey. Mardin is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and its appearance has barely changed since the 16th century. Narrow streets with picturesque houses, minarets, and temples stretch up the cliffs with an ancient fortress on the top. Mardin is a multicultural city, you can meet Turks, Arabs, Kurds, and Assyrians here.

The climate here is between the Mediterranean and subtropical. Winters are not warm, with snow and temperature dropping to zero degrees, while summers are quite hot and dry.

There is an airport 20 kilometres to the southeast of the city, which connects Mardin with Istanbul, Izmir, and Antalya. You can also take a bus to Istanbul, Antalya, Konya, Mersin, and other Turkish cities.

The real estate prices in Mardin are relatively low. The price per square metre depends on the location of the property, its type, and other factors. You can find flats for sale for $25,000 or $30,000 and villas for at least $67,000.

In a Nutshell

If you are not against quiet little towns with a slow pace of life, consider moving to Trabzon with incredible views of the Black Sea, Dalaman with its many resorts around thermal springs, Kayseri, surrounded by the mountains, Didim with its many beaches, or the fairytale-like Mardin. Property prices in all these cities are much lower than in other Turkish cities popular with tourists.

Cover photo: Freepik