How Much Does Istanbulkart Cost? | How To Buy And Top Up?

All you need to travel to Istanbul is an Istanbulkart. Public transportation in Istanbul is not possible without an Istanbulkart, and you need to purchase this valuable card to travel by subway, bus, tram, ferry, and funicular. You can even use this card to pay for using the toilet.

When I was in this city, after buying the Istanbulkart, I was able to go to different neighborhoods in Istanbul and reduce the cost of my trip by using public transportation because the cost of taxis and car rentals in Istanbul is very expensive compared to subway and bus.

In this article, in addition to telling you the price of the Istanbulkart, I will also explain to you how to buy and charge it.

If you want to reduce the cost of your trip and are looking for an answer to the question “How much does Istanbulkart cost,” you should read to the end of this article from Travelling Topic to learn about my experiences.

How much does Istanbulkart cost in 2023?

The cost of the Istanbulkart in 2023 is seventy liras, and by paying this amount in cash, you can buy the Istanbulkart from the yellow kiosks inside the metro stations in different parts of the city.

You should pay attention to the fact that the cost of gasoline in Turkey increases every year, and as a result, the cost of transportation in Istanbul will increase. Therefore, the price of the Istanbulkart may increase in the coming years. In my opinion, in 2024, the price of the Istanbulkart will be around 80-90 liras, so if you travel to Istanbul in the coming years, don’t be surprised to see the price of the Istanbulkart.

How to buy an Istanbulkart?

There are yellow and black ticket kiosks with the word billetmatik written on them in the main metro transport stations such as Taksim and at the airport. You can buy an Istanbulkart by visiting these kiosks. All you need is to prepare 100 liras in cash.

The good news is that these ticket offices support different languages ​​, such as English, and you can change the language of the device by clicking the button that I have specified in the picture below.

After changing the language of the device, click on the Istanbulkart button that I have marked in the image below.

Since the price of the Istanbulkart is 70 liras, you need to insert a 100 liras bill into the device and then press the OK button. After doing this, you can take your Istanbulkart from the bottom of the device.

Now, your Istanbulkart has a charge of 30 liras, which enables you to use public transportation in Istanbul.

How to charge my Istanbulkart?

The easiest thing is to put your Istanbulkart in the special section that I have specified in the picture below and enter the desired amount into the device.

After entering the money into the machine, you do not need to do anything else because the machine operates automatically. After the device confirms the message, you can take your card.

Where can I buy Istanbulkart?

Below are the names of some metro stations where you can buy Istanbulkart:

How much can an Istanbulkart be charged?

There is no limit to this, but the citizens of Istanbul pay about 500 liras per month to charge their Istanbulkart.

I suggest you top up your card with 100 liras on the first day, and after that, top up your card again in the way I explained above. If you charge too much, you can’t get it back, and you have to use it all.

Tips you should know

If you travel to Istanbul with your family, you don’t need to buy an Istanbulkart for each person. You can pay for the use of public transportation for 5 people at the same time using an Istanbulkart.

You only need to bring your card near the machine once when paying the fare so that the fare will deduct the charge on your card.

Conclusion

Istanbul is a big city, and it is better to use public transportation to move around in this city.

I used the metro to go to tourist places such as Hagia Sophia and Taksim Square and paid for it using an Istanbulkart. If you are going to Istanbul for the first time, it is better to buy an Istanbulkart to move around the city.

If you have a problem while buying the Istanbulkart, you can ask for help from the officials who are present in different parts of the metro.

In the end, I would like you to share your opinion about Istanbulkart with me and others in the comments section. I also suggest you definitely read the article “Public Transportation in Istanbul” to learn more about public transportation in Istanbul.