Pakistani Student Tuition and Living Expenses in Turkey (2026)

Academic Year: 2026-2027

Last updated: 2026-09-07

For most Pakistani students, deciding on a Turkish university is less of a priority than figuring out what the expenses for studying in Turkey would look like.

Costs for studying in Turkey vary from student to student based on the choice of university, degree, city, accommodation, and lifestyle. A public university in a cheaper city like Eskişehir or Kayseri will have drastically different costs than a private vakıf üniversitesi in Istanbul. The costs for studying in Turkey also increase when students choose degrees in Medicine or Dentistry.

For most students, the issue is not the availability of a university. For most families, the challenge is finding a university that meets the student’s needs while also being within budget.

For that reason, a lot of families find professional guidance to be valuable. Pre-application, students can get professional help to evaluate their profile, understand the university options, and prepare the necessary documentation for their visa. For example, Glommico is a Lahore-based global immigration and study-abroad consultancy that offers help with every step in the study-in-Turkey process, from university selection to scholarships to visa prep and document support.

Having said that, you have to be aware of the costs. This guide provides information on the costs for studying in Turkey along with living expenses for the first year as well as recurring costs. With this information, you can decide for yourself if you can afford to study in Turkey.

What Are the Costs of Studying in Turkey in 2026?

Pakistani students interested in studying in Turkey will find that costs can be anywhere from $4,800 (PKR 1.34 million) in the case of less expensive public universities, to $19,000+ (PKR 5.3 million or greater) for a private university in a major city. Fields like Medicine and Dentistry will cost even more.

The first year of study will generally cost more than subsequent years, and will likely include costs for your visa, travel, and other first-time expenses.

PKR estimates should be updated to reflect the current exchange rate.

The costs provided above are best case scenarios. The cost of your specific study in Turkey will depend on what you choose to study and your university.

University Costs in Turkey

Tuition will be the most variable cost within study in turkey cost for pakistani students.

Public University Costs

Outside of Istanbul, public universities can be more affordable than many private institutions.

In fact, Eskişehir Osmangazi University will have different international-student tuition for different programs in the 2026-27 year, instead of a unifying fee across the board. For example, tuition for the Business Administration program is ₨ 45,000 and ₨ 80,000 for the Computer Engineering program.

This shows students how to go beyond searching for the “cheapest university in Turkey” to comparing programs.

Tuition Costs at Private and Vakıf Universities

Tuition at Private and Vakıf Universities is likely to be much higher. Some private universities may have competitive scholarships or discounts.

Bahçeşehir University has a specific example with the 2026-27 tuition of $8,500 and $9,000 for the two divisions of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Administrative and Social Sciences.

Üsküdar University has some communication programs listed in the range of $4,200-$4,400 Tuition is not the only thing to consider. Students must ask the following.

What programs can I realistically be admitted to? What scholarships or discounts will be applicable, and how much will I pay? What is the cost of living in the city per month?

Glommico’s profile based assessment is one option to help students select universities that fit their profile and budget rather than helping students select a destination and then the universities.

Medicine and Dentistry

Medicine and Dentistry have a much higher separate budget. Certain programs at Vakıf Universities have tuition fees in the range of $20,000 and higher. For example, İstinye University has the price of the English Medicine program at $29,000 for the 2026-27 year, and the Dentistry program at $24,500.

For the Pakistani families, this shows that the selectivity of the universities is highly important. There is a large impact on the cost of the degree that is caused by a small difference in the cost of tuition across universities.

Master's Degree Fees

The cost of the degree at this level is very program and university specific. Certain universities may publish fees that are program specific while other universities may publish fees that are specific to the structure of the degree as a whole. Students must therefore consult the universities for fees before they finalize their budgets.

Most Affordable Universities in Turkey for International Students

For every Pakistani student, there is no one most affordable university in Turkey. A university that is tuition-wise affordable can be more expensive when all the other costs are considered.

For international students' undergraduate programs, Eskişehir Osmangazi University and Erciyes University have relatively low tuition fees. Üsküdar University also has lower tuition fees for some of its programs.

The appropriate strategy should be to look for universities that are economically accessible for the specific academic profile.

Here, Glommico’s university selection service has a chance to be of real value. Instead of applying to a university simply because of low advertised tuition, students can have their academic profile, subject of interest, budget, and preferred country all considered. According to Glommico, its study abroad service is focused on university selection, admission assistance, provision of scholarships and guidance on visa support.

Considering studying in Turkey, but do not know which universities are within your grades and budget, a profile assessment with Glommico can help you refine your study budget to a list of feasible universities.

Monthly Cost of Living in Turkey

For Pakistani students, tuition is only one part of the cost of studying in Turkey. Accommodation, food, transport, mobile service and other personal expenses may collectively add to a significant cost for a year.

For example, METU's guidance to international students provides separate cost estimates for accommodation and living expenses in Ankara, while other universities in Istanbul provide higher accommodation cost estimates.

1. Accommodation

Accommodation comes as the largest monthly living expense. When it comes to accommodation, students can choose to live in university dorms, KYK accommodation (where applicable and available), private student residences, or shared apartments.

Shared apartments generally reduce the cost burden on an individual, where a private room in a major city can be a big jump in the monthly budget.

1. Food and Groceries

Food also comes at a cost and will depend on whether you are cooking for yourself, eating at campus cafeterias, or purchasing your meals outside.

Students wishing to save on the study in turkey cost for pakistani students should buy groceries and limit themselves to food purchases outside the campus to a minimum

1. Transport

Transport is also easy to manage when you have a student discount and a good public transport system. In Istanbul, students can use İstanbulkart, and cities like Ankara have a good bus and metro system.

1. Phone, Internet and Personal Expenses

Don't forget the budget for mobile services and the internet, personal care items, study materials and entertainment.

If you are only budgeting for tuition and accommodation for your first year, you will find it to be deceptively cheap.

Cost of Living by City

The city you choose will impact your study in turkey cost for pakistani students.

If you are looking for a budget friendly option, you can choose Eskişehir, Konya and Kayseri. Ankara's cost also balances the benefits of living in a major city with a good academic focus, unlike some areas of Istanbul.

Istanbul is the most metropolitan, but you will need a sizable budget for accommodation and living expenses.

Selecting the right city for your educational journey is one of the many important decisions Glommico will help you with. Just because a university has cheaper tuition doesn’t mean it will be less expensive overall.

Upfront Costs Before Arrival

These costs are unique to your first year of study in Turkey and will not be required in subsequent years. These costs may include:

• Student Visa

• Flight to Turkey

• First accommodation and local transport

• University costs including application and exams

• Document translation and attestation

These costs are required before every school year and may be separated from your yearly budget.

Costs After Arrival

Student Residence Permit

If you are going to study in Turkey and are an international student, you must meet the requirements for the student residence permit (öğrenci ikamet izni).

For 2026, the estimated cost for a residence permit is ₺964.

Students must obtain a permit through the official immigration system and must meet the requirements that are specific to the nationality and the study program.

Health Insurance

This is a necessary cost for studying in Turkey. If you are an international student and must meet the requirements for health insurance, coverage can be through either the Turkish General Health Insurance system or a private policy.

As insurance rules and premiums are subject to change, students are advised to check the current requirement according to their programme and registration status instead of working with an outdated estimate.

Total First-Year Cost: Three Student Budgets

The best way to calculate the cost of study in turkey for pakistani students is to create a practical scenario.

Scenario 1: The Public University in Smaller Cities

Eskişehir, Kayseri, or Konya houses a public university where a student can save a substantial amount in the total budget compared to an Istanbul private university.

Scenario 2: Larger Cities’ Public or Lower Cost Vakıf University

Although a student’s public or lower-cost vakıf university in Ankara, Izmir, or Istanbul will result in lower tuition, the student would incur higher costs for lodging and living.

Scenario 3: Medicine or Dentistry at a Vakıf University

The finance associated with medicine or dentistry at a vakıf university can be in the tens of thousands of dollars each year.

What It Costs To Study and Live in Turkey Per Year After the First Year

Many students make the mistake of assuming the first-year budget is the cost for every year. Your second year would normally exclude the one-time expenses of the first international flight and visa as well as the setup cost. This distinction is very important when comparing degrees of four years or more.

For example, a university may have cheaper ongoing tuition and accommodation, even if it has slightly higher first year prices, making it the cheaper option overall in the long run.

How Much Does Studying in Turkey Cost in Pakistani Rupees?

For Pakistani families, the cost of studying in Turkey for Pakistani students is more clear when we convert the cost into PKR.

For future reference, the calculations in this article will be based on the exchange rate at the time this article is published. Expenses will be updated when this article is updated.

This is a ballpark estimate. While exchange rates are in flux, Pakistani students should not take a PKR equivalent as a university price set in stone.

How Türkiye Bursları and University Scholarships Reduce Costs

While there are major fluctuations in the cost of studying in Turkey for Pakistani students, scholarships have the potential to drastically reduce this cost.

Türkiye Bursları covers tuition, accommodation, health insurance and provides a stipend during the scholarship period. The current stipend is ₺4,500 for undergraduate students, ₺6,500 for master students, and ₺9,000 for PhD students. There is also the potential to reduce the cost of studying further with university scholarships.

Therefore, it is important to check scholarships opportunities before considering universities with full tuition offers. According to Glommico, scholarship guidance is also included in their study-abroad service.

How to Reduce Your Study Costs in Turkey

The most effective way for Pakistani students to reduce the cost of studying in Turkey is to make an informed choice before submitting their applications.

Choose your budget total rather than a university. Decide on the amount your family is comfortable spending each year, then look into the universities that fall within that budget. Think about the cities as well as the tuition. Going to a university that saves you $2,000 on tuition might not be worth it if it places you in a city where your housing will cost you an additional $5,000 each year.

Research the scholarships and the discounts universities offer before you pay the full tuition. Think about the use of student transport and shared housing. At the very end of your comparisons, make sure you consider the total cost of the degree rather than just the cost of the first year.

If you aren't sure what is a reasonable route financially, this is the perfect time to consult an immigration and study abroad consultancy. Glommico offers in person consultations at their Lahore office. Other applicants in Pakistan are able to consult and submit their documents online.

Hidden Costs Pakistani Students Should Not Forget

When applying to study in Turkey as a Pakistani student, you need to consider the following costs beyond your tuition fee and standard living expenses:

• Document translation

• Attestation

• Application charges

• Airport transfer

• First stay accommodation charges

• Bedding

• SIM card

• Expenses related to your residence permit

• Insurance

• Banking costs

• Winter clothing if moving to colder Turkish cities

It's important to understand that you should label these as potential costs or variable costs instead of estimating a specific value for each of them.

Why Pakistani Students Choose Glommico for Turkey Study Guidance

Understanding the cost of study in Turkey for Pakistani Students is the starting point. After budgeting and understanding your finances, the next biggest challenge is the application.

Based in Lahore, Glommico focuses on study-abroad and immigration consultancy services for Pakistani customers. They provide university selection, application, scholarship, financial documents, visa, and interview services. For a Turkey applicant, Glommico enables a more systematic approach to each step:

Profile assessment - university shortlist - programme and tuition comparison - application - admission documentation - visa preparation - interview guidance - pre-departure planning.

This is important because a university may be labeled “cheap,” however, a choice made soley for monetary reasons leads to disaster. Your academic qualifications, programme and visa eligibility, language requirements, and finances need to be documented in a visa.

Glommico provides remote consultations for clients not in Lahore, so clients from all over Pakistan don’t have to be physically present for every step of the process. When considering Turkey as a study-abroad option, a consultation helps you to evaluate Turkey based on your academic profile, budget, and future goals so that you are deciding on more factors other than tuition when looking to study abroad.

Is Turkey Affordable Compared With Other Study Destinations?

Compare cost pressures rather than making unsupported exact comparisons:

Exact numbers must only be added post thorough research using current Tier 1 sources for all relevant countries. Otherwise, this must be kept qualitative.

This is a combination of accommodation, transport costs, food, health insurance, immigration expenses, tuition, city expenses, and one-time setup expenses. Next you will choose a university at which you meet the admission criteria and offers the course you wish to study.

Pakistani students who desire to study in Turkey are encouraged to book an assessment consultation with Glommico to evaluate their academic profile, ideal study program, and financial budget prior to starting their application process.

A good consultancy will provide more than just a list of recommended universities and a program to guide you in your application. They will provide rationale for the recommended university, the selected program, and the allotted budget for your profile.

Am I able to Study in Turkey with a Budget of 1 Million PKR?

For most, a budget of 1 Million PKR will provide a challenge to study abroad, as even considering mandatory administrative costs, accommodation, meals, travel, and tuition, it will not cover the total expense for the first year. However, the budget will greatly depend on the scholarship, the university, and the city. For that reason, students should be cautious about assuming that the costs will be low because the university has low tuition.

Selecting a university with a low advertised tuition may result in a study abroad budget that is not realistic. Glommico’s immigration and education Consultancy will help students assess the total tuition costs of study programs they are considering, including programs costs, living expenses, and accommodation costs.