🇹🇷 Istanbul

Our Take

Best for: History lovers and foodies who want a world-class city at budget prices

Istanbul is the city where you can stand inside a 1,500-year-old cathedral in the morning, cruise between two continents at lunch, haggle for spices in a 560-year-old bazaar in the afternoon, and eat a $3 doner that rivals anything in Berlin — all in one day. The lira's depreciation has made Istanbul absurdly cheap for dollar-holders: a full Turkish breakfast spread for two runs $8-12 at a neighborhood lokanta. The Hagia Sophia (free since 2020, paid entry reinstated but still affordable), Blue Mosque, and Basilica Cistern deliver on the history. The Bosphorus ferries deliver on the views. Karaköy and Kadıköy deliver on the food.

“The most underpriced world-class city — 5,000 years of history, two continents, and the best street food in the Mediterranean, all at developing-world prices.”