Turkish Property Port

Istanbul’s Quality of Life Index

A recent research conducted by Dr. Murat Şeker of Istanbul University revealed the ranking of Istanbul’s provinces based on quality of life. The index gives a pretty good idea regarding the best areas to live and invest in Istanbul. Beşiktaş, Kadıköy, Bakırköy, Şişli and Fatih took the top 5 spots in terms of quality of life. As part of the research, periodical analyses were conducted with respect to socio-economic conditions, demographic structure, education, health, transportation and environment. There were stark differences compared to a similar research that was conducted five years ago, in 2010. For example, Kadıköy lost its number one spot to Beşiktaş, while Beyoğlu was kicked out of its position in the top 5 by new entry, Bakırköy. 

According to the research, people mostly want to live in the following neighborhoods: Bebek, Etiler and Arnavutköy (Beşiktaş), Caddebostan, Fenerbahçe, Suadiye (Kadıköy), Kuzguncuk and Çengelköy (Üsküdar), the Prince Islands and İstinye, Yeniköy, Tarabya (Sarıyer). This makes perfect sense, especially when we consider that all of these neighborhoods have become centers of attraction for property investment in Istanbul.

Beşiktaş topped the index in terms demographic structure and education, Çatalca, in terms of health, Beyoğlu, in terms of social life, Şişli, in terms of economic conditions, Kadıköy, in terms of transportation and Sarıyer, in terms of environmental conditions.  

The research also revealed that people mostly complained about traffic and lack of public parking. The amount of green spaces like parks and pollution were also found to be major concerns for the people, who participated in the survey. We are also attaching below the full index for your reference, however as with all such indexes, with a disclaimer: Despite the overall scores, each province has its positive and negative aspects. Therefore, it is best that you visit, analyze and consider each of these 39 provinces through your own eyes. Especially if you are looking to buy real estate to invest in Istanbul, there are other elements one should consider. Current state of these provinces and the future projections for each one may have drastic differences. It is also always advisable to consult with your real estate broker.

Index Ranking    Province    Index Score
1    BEŞİKTAŞ    0,911
2    KADIKÖY    0,886
3    BAKIRKÖY    0,613
4    ŞİŞLİ    0,574
5    FATİH    0,490
6    BEYOĞLU    0,367
7    ÜSKÜDAR    0,347
8    SARIYER    0,347
9    EYÜP    0,183
10    MALTEPE    0,161
11    KARTAL    0,128
12    KÜÇÜKÇEKMECE    0,114
13    BAYRAMPAŞA    0,093
14    BÜYÜKÇEKMECE    0,081
15    BAHÇELİEVLER    0,053
16    ATAŞEHİR    0,046
17    PENDİK    0,032
18    ZEYTİNBURNU    0,027
19    BEYLİKDÜZÜ    0,025
20    BEYKOZ    0,025
21    TUZLA    -0,018
22    KAĞITHANE    -0,020
23    ÜMRANİYE    -0,028
24    GÜNGÖREN    -0,119
25    ADALAR    -0,142
26    BAŞAKŞEHİR    -0,152
27    AVCILAR    -0,161
28    BAĞCILAR    -0,190
29    ESENYURT    -0,194
30    ÇATALCA    -0,228
31    ÇEKMEKÖY    -0,264
32    SİLİVRİ    -0,304
33    GAZİOSMANPAŞA    -0,333
34    SANCAKTEPE    -0,391
35    ESENLER    -0,421
36    SULTANGAZİ    -0,518
37    ŞİLE    -0,587
38    SULTANBEYLİ    -0,601
39    ARNAVUTKÖY    -0,620

Source: http://www.ito.org.tr/itoyayin/0023050.pdf