Economic pressure grows in Istanbul: Dining out has become a dream

Economic difficulties in Istanbul are deeply affecting daily life. The December results of research tracking the pulse of society, the economy, and demographic changes in the city revealed that Istanbulites have faced a serious struggle for livelihood throughout the past year. According to the latest data, nearly half of those living in the city fear "not being able to access sufficient food," and the vast majority have had to restrict their consumer spending outside the home.

In the research conducted in December 2025, 63.4 percent of Istanbulites stated that they had reduced their dining and drinking expenditures outside the home over the past month. Similarly, the rate of those who cut back on clothing purchases was recorded at 55.8 percent.

Approximately one in every two people stated that they were anxious about access to sufficient food in September 2025, and this rate climbed to 49.4 percent, the highest level measured to date. The rate of those who "frequently" feel this anxiety was determined to be 17.9 percent; the rate of those who answered "sometimes" was 13.3 percent, and those who feel anxious "rarely" was 8.2 percent.

The increase in credit card debt also stands out as a clear indicator of the cost of living crisis in the city. According to the research, in December 2025, 35.4 percent of participants reported that they could only pay the minimum amount of their credit card debt. The rate of those saying "I cannot make any payments" was 9.6 percent, one of the highest levels of the year. In the previous month (November 2025), the minimum payment rate was 31.3 percent.

A trend toward celebrating at home or with one's immediate circle was also observed to increase during the New Year. While the rate of those spending New Year's Eve at home in December 2024 was 91.8 percent, this rate reached 93.1 percent in December 2025. The rate of those who changed their way of celebrating due to economic reasons hovered around 30 percent.