Moving to Istanbul on a 50,000 lira (gross) salary.

It depends on your spendings and lifestyle. I would live comfortable in Istanbul with my entire family on half of that Money.

@Sudz I am an American who came to Turkey in 2021 because of the difference in the cost of living. Under your circumstances, if you can take this job and still save money I would highly recommend it.

Life is good in Turkey, and the cost of living is much lower. However, Istanbule is not my ideal place to live for me as I am a retired man and want a calmer environment. So I chose Kusadasi. With the money you have, you can put it into the banks and earn a nice interest rate. I have friends who are getting as much as 17% or better. As apartment rentals have shot up in cost over the last year you might find it a little difficult, depending on your lifestyle but there are still apartments to rent at a lower rate. If I can be of any more assistance, please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Dennis

@dncole4156 Thank you for your reply Dennis.  Sounds like you are doing well there - I will have to research that particular town.  I have visited Turkey (only Istanbul and Cappadocia) but I really enjoyed my limited time there.  I definitely want to see more of the country as well!  Thanks for your offer, if I have any further questions I will ask.

@lldd11 That is encouraging, thanks for you response.  I am not an extravagant spender at all - though I do like to travel, which I would say is a luxury expense.  I would ideally like a decent apartment, but outside of that I'm not really much of a shopper, and am fine with mostly cooking and eating at cheaper local places. 

@Sudz Which university? It might affect everything from the location of your apartment to your lifestyle and overall happiness. I have worked for 3 different universities, studied at three, and have some idea about a few more...

@globalenglish Hey, it's Koc University - waaaay out of the way I know.

@globalenglish If you have any other insight, I'd love to hear it.

Keep in mind it is up to the

government NOT the university to approve your work permit. I got a job and worked a month and my work permit was denied. I was immediately released.

Also, in Istanbul you HAVE to live close to

your school. Commute time can be 30 min then suddenly it is 2 hours based on weather and traffic.

@jillrthomas This is pretty much my main concern.  I have sent an email to the school trying to get some clarification on the subject. 

@jillrthomas Also, did they provide any reason why the work permit was denied?

@Sudz It's a very nice campus, but it is pretty far away from the city. I worked with an American professor from Koç briefly, but he left the country some years ago (due to the general political climate in the country, but I felt that it wasn't necessary). Comparing it to other private universities, Koç is one of the best in terms of general conditions -as far as I know. I only visited the campus once and had lunch with the professor there, but even that experience showed me that they respect their staff much more than other institutions around. Because, yes, this is a problem in Turkey nowadays. Especially in private institutions. The university might provide housing, so make sure you ask, but if you want to live somewhere else always make sure you can reach the metro/underground/subway (whichever term you are familiar with) lines and stations easily. Istanbul used to be a lot better in every aspect, the city is a mess right now ( too many people, way too much concrete and traffic) but it is still an experience worth living.

@Sudz If you are not a big spender and will be happy with a small apartment in a crowded area, I guess you can find a more affordable or shared apartment around Mecidiyeköy, Esentepe, or Levent, near Yıldız Teknik University maybe. The cost of rent is the biggest problem right now.

@globalenglish Thanks for your reply!  That does sound encouraging.  I know that Istanbul has some issues (perhaps more severe ones in recent years) but I based on the week or so I spent there I really do think I would potentially like it.  My one slight worry is the work visa process (I've heard some bad stories with people being rejected at the last minute - not because of the school, but the government).  Maybe overthinking. 

@globalenglish Yeah rent prices look quite a bit higher than I had expected.  As I'm going more for the experience than the savings, I don't mind paying a bit more (though would still ideally like to save, even if only a little bit).  Some have mentioned Haciosman as being a good potential middle ground (as they have a shuttle bus to Koc from there). 

@Sudz Yes, Hacıosman is even closer, so it's a good option. Well, regarding the visa process, it's usually the Turkish citizens who have a hard time, so almost all the bad stories I hear about are from Turks trying to visit other countries. And Koç has a big expat group, I met a bunch of them back in the day. So I wouldn't worry about the visa process and the permits that much. It is true that some people get rejected or wait for long periods of time for certain processes, but they are usually the ones that don't have a job or a formal invitation.

I wrote some blog articles about living in Turkey, giving tips to foreigners, you can check them out here: https://turkeynomad.com/author/cvaner/

Okay thank you for that - that is encouraging to hear.  Honestly my one big hesitation has been the potential of not getting a work visa for whatever reason - perhaps the reliability of the employer makes a difference. 

I will check out your blog, thanks.

@Sudz Yes, the reliability of the employer makes a huge difference. Koç is a big name in Turkey, and it doesn't just hire anyone, they do their own research before offering you a job and the authorities know that. Of course, the nationality of the applicant is always an issue, wherever you go, but I don't want to go there. I don't think you will have any difficulties, but good luck with everything anyway.

@globalenglish That's really good to know.  Hopefully they still want to carry out their offer after all of the questions/concerns I have sent them : )

@globalenglish One concern I have had is my MA route - I was able to enter based on teaching experience, and not on a BA (which I lack).  I told them this before the interview, and they told me it was alright to proceed, so maybe it's fine (though I still have the slight worry that I might be rejected, and that this would be out of Koc's control)

@Sudz Now I'm confused. What's the teaching position, and what is the department? Is your degree not directly linked to the department they offered the position at?

@globalenglish I have an MA TESOL, and the job is related to teaching English as a second language, so it's directly related.  However, I do not have a BA (which I thought might have an impact on the work visa application....or not, it can depend on the country).

@Sudz You don't have a BA from any department at all? Well, in that case, no offense, but I'm surprised that they even offered the job. If it was a language course or another private institution, primary school level etc. I wouldn't be surprised. I am also in the same field, I teach English and I have worked at three universities (Foreign Languages Department) so far, I have a BA and an MA in related fields. And now my husband and I run a local private language school so I know how schools and courses operate. At the university level, they would normally require a BA and an MA. It is a must. They might have a way around it for foreign native speakers, but institutions like Koç wouldn't go for it. At least that's what I thought... Maybe things have changed and I'm mistaken... Or they have financial concerns in mind... Or maybe the position is not for their university/college education? You'll have to wait and see then. So, best of luck...

I don't have a BA, but do have a quite a bit of related experience.  It's through the ELC (English Language Center) so perhaps it's not as esteemed as many of their other departments..  They seemed interested in my experience with curriculum development specifically. 

No offense taken, it's a strange route for sure.  We'll see how it all pans out. 

@Sudz The problem is, when they are hiring, all universities must follow the rules and regulations of YÖK, which is a formal institution. And it states that you must have a BA (and for most departments, an MA with a thesis) to be able to teach at colleges/universities. But as I said, they might have a way around those regulations for native speakers. Please keep us posted as now I'm curious!

@globalenglish Yeah I'm honestly not sure!  I have sent the requested documents, along with a signed contract, but also emphasized that I was a bit concerned about the probability of success regarding the work visa application.  I heard from another posted (on Reddit or another form) who mentioned the necessity of the BA along with the MA - though also heard a contradictory view claiming that the MA by itself would be fine. 

It's all a bit confusing to me - and overwhelming as I'm in the middle of a busy school year here.  I am still awaiting their reply to my inquiry.  I can keep you updated though : )