Antalya on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: Antalya works well on a budget, with a realistic minimum of about €55 per person per day (bed €20, food €15, sights €15, transport €5). The trick is to stay in Kaleiçi guesthouses, eat Turkish food and choose your paid sites carefully.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €20 | €55 | €200 |
| Food & drink | €15 | €35 | €80 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €40 | €90 |
| Local transport | €5 | €25 | €60 |
| Per person, per day | €55 | €155 | €430 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Antalya day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk the lanes of Kaleiçi, through Hadrian's Gate and past the Yivli Minare and the Kesik Minare
- The Roman harbour and the cliff-top Karaalioğlu Park with the Hıdırlık Tower
- The Lower Düden Waterfall falling into the sea (viewing park)
- Konyaaltı beach with the Taurus mountains behind it
- The sandy public beaches at Lara
- Sunset along the cliff-top promenade above the bay
Cheap eats
- Simit and Turkish tea for breakfast, about €1–2
- Döner or dürüm wrap, about €3–6
- Pide or lahmacun at a local bakery-restaurant, about €3–7
- Lokanta lunch of stew, rice and salad, about €5–8
- Piyaz (Antalya-style bean salad) with köfte, about €5–9
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Kaleiçi guesthouses and small pensions, many with a courtyard or small pool, at about €40–80 for a double (so roughly €20–40 each when sharing), cheaper off-season. A few hostels in and near Kaleiçi offer dorm beds from roughly €10–20.
Getting around cheaply
The airport tram line and city buses, paid with an AntalyaKart, are by far the cheapest way to reach the centre and get around. For the ancient cities, a shared group tour or splitting a rental car between two to four people is cheapest per person; dolmuş minibuses reach some sites but connections are slow.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Simit and tea, then walk Kaleiçi and the Roman harbour (free)
- Lunch: Lokanta lunch of stew and rice, about €6
- Afternoon: Antalya Museum (about €15–20), then Karaalioğlu Park
- Evening: Lower Düden Waterfall at sunset by bus, döner for dinner, about €5
- Total: about €55 including a shared double in a guesthouse
More ways to save
- Travel in May, early June or October, when guesthouses are cheaper and the sea is still warm.
- Swim at Konyaaltı's public sections rather than renting loungers at beach clubs.
- Carry a refillable bottle and buy large water bottles in supermarkets, not kiosks.
- Choose two or three major ancient sites rather than trying to see all of them.
- Ask your guesthouse for the bus routes to Perge and the waterfalls before booking a tour.
- Drink tea and beer in local cafés away from the harbour, where prices are lower.
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Common questions
Can you do Antalya on a budget?
Yes: about €55 a day per person is realistic with a Kaleiçi guesthouse, Turkish food and a couple of paid sites.
Is the Museum Pass Mediterranean worth it on a budget?
Usually, if you visit four or more sites such as the Antalya Museum, Perge, Aspendos and Side. Compare the current pass price with single tickets.
What is the cheapest way from the airport?
The tram line from the airport to the city, paid with an AntalyaKart, costs very little; taxis take about 20–30 minutes and cost far more.