Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Istanbul at 52/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Turkiye's national picture overall (58/100 vs 59/100).
City page · part of Turkiye
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Istanbul report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Turkiye's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
48.0
Safety Index
52.0
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Turkiye's national page, with crime swapped for Istanbul's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Istanbul, specifically
- • In Istanbul, most drivers won't abide any rules.
- • A major earthquake with epicenter in the nearby Sea of Marmara is expected within the next few decades, so read the earthquake safety article before you arrive.
- • If prices are not on display, always ask beforehand (even for a tea) instead of just ordering something like in Europe.
- • Istanbul is home to three of the biggest clubs in Turkey and maybe European football: Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, and Galatasaray.
- • Bar and club scams: High-drink price scams encountered in so-called night-clubs mostly located in Aksaray, Beyazit and Taksim areas.
- • Also be aware of friendly behaving groups of young men or male-female couples striking up a conversation in the street and inviting you to a "good nightclub they know".
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1858
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 or 911 or 153 / ambulance: 112 or 911 / fire: 112 or 911
Tipping
In general, tipping is not considered obligatory. However, it is very common to leave a 10% tip in restaurants if you're satisfied with the service. It is NOT possible to add tip to the credit card bill. It is very common amongst Turkish people to pay the bill with a credit card and leave the tip in cash or coins. Most waiters will bring your cash back in coins as much as possible, that's because
Cash vs. Card
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted, American Express much less so. Most credit card users have to enter their PIN codes when using their cards if above a certain amount. Older, magnetic card holders are excepted from this, but remember that, unlike some other places in Europe, salespeople have the legal right to ask you to show a valid ID with a photo on to prove that you are the owner of the
How this compares to Turkiye
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Istanbul at 52/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Turkiye's national picture overall (58/100 vs 59/100).
See the full Turkiye page and all receipts →