Cost of living 08

[Silverfox BC]

Due to the fall of the lira and the rising cost of everything has anyone noticed much difference in Icmeler in the last couple of months and do we need to bring some extra money with us? Our daughter came with us to Icmeler in May and then went to Turgutreis in August and was amazed at how much more everthing cost. Steaks were over thirty lira and only banks would change money.

[Ang20x]

I fly out next week and not sure how much to take with the exchange rate being so low. Think i will be taking more than i usually do along with bank card just incase i dont have enough

[swc24]

Hi

we came back 1st Sep it cost us this year about £2000 for a two week holiday for 2 adults and 2 kids aged 13 and 10 and that was without booking any extra trips
daytime we would have something to eat around the pool snacks most of the time
evening we would go out for a meal avarage cost for four of us as the kids eat of the main menu was about 95 ytl including drink we had budgeted for about £1600 based on last year but with exchange rate so low and prices going up in the resort we had to spend more

Steve

[Ang20x]

the exchange rate is terrible, thanks for that Steve!!

[dotty]

Just back on Tuesday, price of steak meal approx 22/23 lira, but most restaurants offering set menus which can include a steak meal and they are very good value at around 23/24 lira. The Mandalin are doing a set menu for 14.90 lira which is soup or salad; pizza, pasta or any chicken dish followed by ice cream, excellent value. They also do a set menu including steak which I think was 22 lira. Hope this helps

[JT]

So about £10 for full meals.

Ok a lot more expensive than it used to be but then I paid £17 for a very small steak meal in a pub in the middle of nowhere in the UK the other week after a days fishing.

Prices have gone up of course but who wants to eat steak every night, not me and I do eat a lot of buts of snacks at the Turkish places so make it cheaper.

You also have a few chippies in Icmeler and of course Cafe Anne and the Erdem Cafe on the beach which do keep the costs down and not forgetting Zaza's Havana bar which does the likes of English breakfasts, burger and chips curry and chips etc at cheap prices.

Prices of drinks vary also and Zaza's again is a cheaper option along with Sugars around the corner

[Crag]

Hi

we came back 1st Sep it cost us this year about £2000 for a two week holiday for 2 adults and 2 kids aged 13 and 10 and that was without booking any extra trips
daytime we would have something to eat around the pool snacks most of the time
evening we would go out for a meal avarage cost for four of us as the kids eat of the main menu was about 95 ytl including drink we had budgeted for about £1600 based on last year but with exchange rate so low and prices going up in the resort we had to spend more

Steve

Steve - what on earth did you spend the rest of your money on Assume the evening meal was your main expense of the day and at 95 ytl average this only comes to about £600 for the 2 weeks...

Just wondering.

[swc24]

Hi

that was just the meal not drinks after as we tender to move on to a diffrent bar plus the kids would have drinks around the pool and ice creams plus lunch avarage 30-45ytl with drinks most we paid for evening meal was 124ytl and that was just four meals and two rounds of drinks we were also only getting around 2.1 exchange rate dropping to 2.04
when were on holiday we do not stop the kids from having what the wont within reason
Steve

[markbullock]

my family and me recently returned and found prices of drinks had gone up massively ! we went self catering and spent £2300 in two weeks,,,however approx £500 was on trips,rafting horses etc,,i have 2 15yr olds and 10 year old and alcoholic wife !!!!!!!!!!!!,however like previously said on this thread we work all year and like to go a little mad on hols,,,most money was spent in venice bar as i couldnt get my girls out of the place,also if you work out £2300 shared by 5 to eat drink and have a great time in sunshine it doesnt work out much more than £25 a day for each of us,,,,,,roll on 2009 cant wait already trying to book rooms !!!

[Fanny]

the venice worked out to be our dearest night - the harmony came a close second
not knocking it though cos both are great nights out and well worth the extra when you think about the quality, location, shows etc

BUT we did find that each time we went to the Venice, there were "extras" on the bill that we'd not had - didnt stop us returning, just made us a little cautious. we've been going there for a long time and like to think they were just overkeen/confused

hope it's not the same when we go back next year

[Silverfox BC]

I agree with you, who wants steak every night, must admit we havnt had a steak for the last three years, we try to eat at the Turkish places and have had some wonderful meals, I was only using steak as an example of price rises. As to having fish and chips in Turkey, no thanks, will stick to pide etc!

[adewolves]

We came back in August and we spent 2000.00 in 2 weeks self catering, 2 adults and 2 kids 10 and 12. We were basically the same as swc24. We went for breakfast in the mornings or had something around the pool and went out for evening meals. The kids had what they wanted, ice creams drinks etc. We have never been before so I can't comment on how much its gone up. We ate very well out there, lovely meals. The way I look at it is if we had have eaten like that over here we would have spent a lot more than 2 grand. We didn't do any trips either.

[Dancing Lucy]

Prices definately higher we were spending around £20 during day round pool for snack and couple of soft drink (me and daughter) then approx £50 for a meal and soft drinks for 3 adults in the evening and we like to go to different bars during the night and each night we spent about £80 between 3 and we werent going mad (only first night). Soft drinks seem to be a killer at 5lira in most places some were 7lira. We did have some nice meals and didnt have many steaks but most meals were around a tenner each. We only did one trip and was a bit miffed that we paid £15 each and all others on trip only paid £10 but we had a good time on the horse safari. Clothes have gone up so much what I noticed was when people at airport going home there would be loads with new turkey fakes on but this year most people had english stuff on. My daughter was looking for a good bag and was prepared to pay around £50 but the only decent copy she found they wanted £125 tried to explain that for another £30 she could have a genuine at home so she never got one.

[adewolves]

Yes I did notice that the soft drinks were the killer for us, they are more expensive than the beer a lot of the time. I always love it when I've paid off the holiday then I crap myself that I've got to start all over again with the spending money, you can't really budget for spending money now no matter where you go. I desperately want to go to paradise again next year but I reckon the way it's going I will be putting another 500.00 on top of the spends we took this year. Very sad but it's the way of the world not just Turkey.

[Fanny]

agree with everyone else re price increases and what especially disappointed me this year was the price of soft drinks
because of that, we all stuck mainly to water during the day - am sure they'd make more money by selling more soft drinks if they lowered the prices

[reesy1959]

We got stung in Joes British Bar for 2 lemon fantas = 14 lira. Never again.

[mazz]

I'd be inclined to take a bit more spending money with you, or at least a card you can take some cash out on. Prices haven't gone up that much, but you'll notice a difference with the poor exchange rate, though I gather now I'm home it's improved slightly.

[art deuchars]

My wife and i went out for a meal in a local resturant last night.
2 starters 2 main meals 4 soft drinks .
Total cost for 2 £40.
Multiply that by the YTL rate i got from TC yesterday 2.29 = 91.6 YTL.
Rather eat in Icmeler.