When you visit an airport, you expect to pay high prices at concessions, including for food and drinks. However, not all airports are created equal when it comes to pricing, and there’s a surprising airport where I most consistently see complaints on this topic. I thought it would be interesting to talk about that for a second.
In this post:
Istanbul Airport might be world’s most expensive
If you asked a random person what airport has the most expensive food and drinks, you’d likely assume it would be one in a very expensive city, like London or New York. However, there’s one airport that seems to “beat” all others in this regard — Istanbul Airport (IST).
What’s wild is that the Turkish Lira (TRY) has devalued massively over the years, and most concessions charge in Euro (EUR). Despite that, the prices will give someone used to the overpriced concessions at Newark (EWR) pause.
In 2024, there was a study by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera comparing food and drink prices across European airports. This looked at the average cost of purchasing five items (a coffee, a bottle of water, a cappuccino, a croissant, and a sandwich). As you can see below, it wasn’t even close, and Istanbul is almost twice as expensive as number two on the list.
Just to look at a few examples on social media, check out these €22.50 turkey sandwiches, or €15.50 pistachio croissants (I’m sure now branded as “Dubai croissants”).
Or who doesn’t like a €32 meat doner with rice?
Or four chicken wings at Popeyes for €17?
Or a Double Whopper with fries and a drink at Burger King for €26.50?
At Starbucks, a venti cold brew will cost you €10, while a venti iced strawberry matcha latte will cost you €13 (see this Instagram post — the below embed is from Istanbul’s other airport, where prices are also high, but not quite as high).
What’s the justification for this pricing, though?
It takes a lot for airport concession pricing to raise eyebrows, given that we’re conditioned to expect high pricing. But this is all next level, no? And what makes it all the worse is that the prices are this high in foreign currencies, while the local currency has devalued at a massive rate.
It raises the question, why does Istanbul Airport have such expensive prices for concessions? What’s the justification? A few thoughts:
- It’s not like “oh, they have a captive audience” is much of a justification, since most airports have that
- There’s probably a lack of third-party regulation given the extent to which the government controls so much in the country, but that applies at all kinds of airport hubs, especially in the Middle East
- Is there some reason that these concessions are significantly more expensive to operate at the airport? Is rent that high (compared to other airports), does the country just struggle to import certain things, or what?
One would think that this would negatively impact the impression travelers have of Turkish Airlines, given that this is the carrier’s global hub. Then again, if you nee to fly from Ashgabat (ASB) to Benghazi (BEN), who else are you going to fly?
Bottom line
Istanbul Airport eclipses virtually every other airport when it comes to concession pricing. Given that Istanbul is otherwise a relatively affordable city (if you’re visiting with “foreign” spending power), the airport is the exception. I’m not sure what the justification is for this, but I’m curious what theories you guys have.
What do you make of Istanbul Airport’s pricing for food and drinks?
Neighbouring Greece have a price cap on bottled water, 50 or 60 cents for half a litre I believe. And commendably that also applies at airports beyond security.
Turkish airports have always been expensive. I flew Dalaman airport in 2009 and a Big Mac meal was £25 GBP or $37 USD. It was by far the most expensive meal we had on the entire trip by some margin
Ho Chi Minh’s airport also has outrageous prices, the airport ain’t new and ain’t fancy (ranked 248/250 for worlds best airports), so they can’t even use rent prices as an excuse. A bowl of pho is normally less than $2, airport price $15-$20, Burger King is around $30. They have one water fountain which takes around 10 mins to fill a single bottle and half the time it’s out of service. But good news, they...
Ho Chi Minh’s airport also has outrageous prices, the airport ain’t new and ain’t fancy (ranked 248/250 for worlds best airports), so they can’t even use rent prices as an excuse. A bowl of pho is normally less than $2, airport price $15-$20, Burger King is around $30. They have one water fountain which takes around 10 mins to fill a single bottle and half the time it’s out of service. But good news, they have almost finished building a new airport (long overdue), which has zero public transport links and the only road to reach it has massive traffic congestion and currently takes 3-6 hours to reach from the city center (post opening it will be dramatically worse). Istanbul is comparatively competitive.
Meanwhile in ORD: Best Bang-for-Your-Buck Chicago Dog at O’Hare?
Had a 6-hour layover at ORD and decided to find the best value Chicago-style hot dog in Terminals 2 and 3.
Quick stats:
...- Price range: $6.99 to $17.95
- Average price: About $9.56
- Only one includes fries: Cubs Bar & Grill
- Wait times: Most are quick, but Connect to Chicago had a 30 min wait for a dog
Meanwhile in ORD: Best Bang-for-Your-Buck Chicago Dog at O’Hare?
Had a 6-hour layover at ORD and decided to find the best value Chicago-style hot dog in Terminals 2 and 3.
Quick stats:
- Price range: $6.99 to $17.95
- Average price: About $9.56
- Only one includes fries: Cubs Bar & Grill
- Wait times: Most are quick, but Connect to Chicago had a 30 min wait for a dog
ORD Terminal 2 & 3 Chicago Hot Dog Value Challenge
- $10.75 – O’Brien’s (To-Go or Sit Down) – T3 L Gates
- $7.20 – Rush Street (To-Go or Sit Down) – T3 H Gates
- $9.79 – Gold Coast Dogs (To-Go) – T3 H Gates
- $17.95 – Cubs Bar & Grill (Sit Down) – T3 G Gates Includes fries
- $7.25 – Reggio’s (To-Go) – T3 G Gates
- $6.99 – Connect to Chicago (To-Go or Sit Down) – between T2 & T3 30 min wait
- $6.99 – Home Run Inn (To-Go) – T2 E Gates
I grabbed one from Home Run Inn, but not before putting together this price chart.
I wish more airports would do as PDX does and require the concessions to charge street prices (or at least close to that).
A modest upcharge is probably justified - an airport restaurant may be buying food that is more expensive because of additional pre-prep, for example a bag of pre-diced fruit instead of whole fruit what with the restrictions on knives and such. I can’t see how those prices listed in this article aren’t seen as straight up gouging.
It’s the rent. (Or ‘contribution to airport costs if self operated). Well mostly. To make back the exhorbitant costs of the build in a specific period of time, the sq ft cost there is on par with some of the most expensive in the world. Imagine running a McDonalds in the BurjKhalifa at a penthouse level kind of rent. So prices are charged accordingly.
There are some other fee and tax issues but generally...
It’s the rent. (Or ‘contribution to airport costs if self operated). Well mostly. To make back the exhorbitant costs of the build in a specific period of time, the sq ft cost there is on par with some of the most expensive in the world. Imagine running a McDonalds in the BurjKhalifa at a penthouse level kind of rent. So prices are charged accordingly.
There are some other fee and tax issues but generally its passed on cost of operations and companies are still happy to rent there given the huge locked in market
I believe they are pricing in a devaluation in advance…
Besides high lira inflation, foreign currency exchange rates are artificially suppressed by the Turkish government. For example, the YTL-USD Fx rate today is +/-41:1. Most analysts suggest it should actually be at least 50, if not 55-60. The Euro is similarly suppressed.
We stayed Landside in June. It was high, but not that high (less than 1/2 these prices). I expect the issue is that TK layovers can be long and many people can't leave the airport. That captive audience can be gouged for all that they are worth. It is the higher cost of low airfare at work.
Airports in Japan have very reasonable price, similar to what you can find in town
Another plus for Japan
Cannot believe no one has mentioned the famous IST $6 banana. Although that was a year ago, so maybe it’s $7.50 by now.
It was thus at IST some 20 years ago and I have no idea why. Not much competition for transfers in the region, perhaps. EU airports & even American routing offers more options.
All i have to say is thank you YVR for enforcing no price gauging.
Wait 15 years and see what prices are then. A meal at Burger King will be 45 euro.
Anyone who eats at Burger King or Popeye in Turkey deserves to pay those prices and more
US airports are extraordinarily expensive. A sandwich at Pret A Manger LAX was $14, in Hudson’s $8 for a bottle of water and $12 for a small bag of m&m.
I don’t find London airports that expensive and perhaps 10% more than outside the the airport.
Meanwhile Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Haneda are very reasonable.
So you didn't actually read the article which talks (and demonstrates) that IST pricing makes US pricing look reasonable in comparison. Thanks so much, now fly closer to the sun.
USA is always a rip off and staff expect tips for simply looking at a customer. Anyhow who eats American trash such as Burger King in Turkey ? In comparison with the rest of the world most airports in the US charge significantly more.
I'm going to guess places like Burger King and Popeyes are very popular with passengers connecting to/from the former Soviet Union in IST. IST is basically functioning as Russia's main international gateway at this point.
The TrueDispatch list conveniently omits Zurich Airport, where buying breakfast is usually a credit score-altering event :P
Not true, food at Swiss airports is roughly in line with the country prices, not more expensive which is quite convenient.
For example, a coffee at Prunier Caviar House in Zurich Airport is 5.50 chf and 5.90 chf in Geneva Airport...so that's less than 7USD in a premium restaurant. Also there are supermarkets close to the check-in area with regular Swiss prices.
I hate flying Turkish so it's generally not a problem.
I remember that during the per opening Tour of the Airport we were told that the consortium of conpanies who build the Airport have 25 or 30 years to bring back the costa through revenue. The ownership of the Airport will then change to the government. That’s why you see quite Creative ways to charge for premium Internet, pay for golfcart Transfers. The Shops and Restaurants were always overpriced but Inflation us responsible for the latest high.
I have traveled through IST several times and visited Istanbul, I think prices at airport are much higher that makes you hold purchases at the airport. I am not sure if it helps the vendors. Fair price will encourage travelers to use IST again. Turkish Airlines must look into it to win its passengers
Wonder if part of this has to do with a brand spanking new airport/terminal leading to high operating costs and need to generate revenue to service the bonds or make some ROIs resulting in higher rent or leases for concessions?
Some projects the taxpayers pick up a bigger share of the tab so those renovations costs do not get rolled down to the businesses that operate at the airport (airlines, concessions, rental companies, etc.) however...
Wonder if part of this has to do with a brand spanking new airport/terminal leading to high operating costs and need to generate revenue to service the bonds or make some ROIs resulting in higher rent or leases for concessions?
Some projects the taxpayers pick up a bigger share of the tab so those renovations costs do not get rolled down to the businesses that operate at the airport (airlines, concessions, rental companies, etc.) however some projects they justify the investment via revenue generation.
Then again, if you need to fly from Ashgabat (ASB) to Benghazi (BEN), who else are you going to fly?.......
In two weeks I will departing ASB on Flydubai ASB-DXB !
Was in Turkey a year ago. A lot of businesses that deal with tourists don't want lira, they want euros. Their inflation at the time was supposed to be running around 90%. The inflation rate could be why the airport's euro prices are so high.
I visited Turkey last year for the first time since 2019 and was shocked with how much more expensive everything had become.
I will.not be returning anytime soon
The same goes for souvenirs. I bought some pestemels (Turkish bath towels) for around 180 TL (3.25 Euros) in Carrefour in a shopping centre. 100% cotton. The same ones were being sold at IST for 29 Euros!
A minimum of research (think, Google?), retrieves plenty of articles from reasonably reliable sources outlining long lists of reasons and arguments behind the prices. Some of which are up for debate, naturally, but most of which add up. Coupled with the notorious Turkish business opportunism, it all makes perfect sense.
@ Jakob OG -- If we're looking at the same reputable stories on Google, they don't really answer my question of why, though. I see explanations like having to pay customs duties on imports and the cost of infrastructure investments at the airport, though it's not clear how that differs from other global hubs. Furthermore, when items are priced in foreign currencies, it's not clear to me why the Lira's devaluation would cause prices to...
@ Jakob OG -- If we're looking at the same reputable stories on Google, they don't really answer my question of why, though. I see explanations like having to pay customs duties on imports and the cost of infrastructure investments at the airport, though it's not clear how that differs from other global hubs. Furthermore, when items are priced in foreign currencies, it's not clear to me why the Lira's devaluation would cause prices to be inflated so much.
So is the answer simply "notorious Turkish business opportunism," or what am I missing?
What I could gather from a cursory lookup is the following:
- It appears the airport is the largest privately owned in the world with very low reliance on governmental subsidy, pressure on profitability is therefore a key driver.
- In fact, IGA owning the infrastructure has in recent years had to increase its annual payoff substantially to the Turkish government (following a cut in payments in 2019), which is primarily passed on...
What I could gather from a cursory lookup is the following:
- It appears the airport is the largest privately owned in the world with very low reliance on governmental subsidy, pressure on profitability is therefore a key driver.
- In fact, IGA owning the infrastructure has in recent years had to increase its annual payoff substantially to the Turkish government (following a cut in payments in 2019), which is primarily passed on to TAV (management company of outlets) and the outlets (rental etc.).
- Indeed there were also repeated significant investments in 2023 & 2024.
- The inflation will be felt on any operational expense (of the airport) which is international in nature, which is likely to be important for IST, and which will also be passed on to revenue generating sources at the airport.
- Lastly, it would appear the prices quoted on social media (and often sensational in nature) are at the upper end of the price range effectively found at the airport, and what's reflected in the comparisons may be subject to nothing else than heavy bias.
I can tell you this, its cheaper than Antalya airport. Feeding a family there will cost more than the plane ticket.
Allegedly the rent for these shops in the airport is ridiculously high and the price reflects this. In general Istanbul has gotten absurdly expensive.
I think part of it is driven by the Russian money, Istanbul prices are gradually converging with Dubai as the nearest place that is happy to except any and every sanctioned Russian whilst they remain locked out of most of Europe.
I agree it’s become one of those odd cities where there’s lots of poverty but you can find yourself paying the same price as Paris / London / New York for food and drink in certain areas (not just in tourist trap places).
Just because there are no direct flights from the EU to Russia doesn’t mean Russians are locked out. They make their way around, no problem, if they want to. Plenty of European countries where they can still fly direct and connect.
Flights from Russia to Europe are limited to, I think, Belgrade and Minsk. Certainly not plenty.
IST is great as long as you have a lounge access and absolutely terrible if you don't.
USD40 to access IGA Lounge for 3 hours (if one doesn’t have lounge access through other means) doesn’t sound too bad then.
No it’s not great. Not with the amount you have to walk to connect
My mum missed a connection there last year after having been sent to the exit instead of the connection security checkpoint by an idiotic member of staff. She had 105 minutes between flights and the inbound had arrived on time. It's sheer madness!
Incidentally, I am pretty certain that TK refused to rebook her in the circumstances (although she wasn't in the mood for leaving the airport so I redeemed an award for her...
My mum missed a connection there last year after having been sent to the exit instead of the connection security checkpoint by an idiotic member of staff. She had 105 minutes between flights and the inbound had arrived on time. It's sheer madness!
Incidentally, I am pretty certain that TK refused to rebook her in the circumstances (although she wasn't in the mood for leaving the airport so I redeemed an award for her to fly LX with a further connection first thing in the morning instead of waiting for 24 hours until the next flight to her destination).
I connect there several times a year, I never experienced too much of walking. All gates are within 15-20 mins from the central pier. If you have mobility issues, book an assistance. For everyone else it's well within the normal walking distance.
The fact that most people can walk for half an hour at a time doesn't mean that it's a good idea to design airports around such a limit. My first visit to the new IST airport was for a 2-hour connection. The flight was on time, I am pretty sure there was no security control, and the connection was departing from two gates down the hall. I only managed half an hour in the lounge...
The fact that most people can walk for half an hour at a time doesn't mean that it's a good idea to design airports around such a limit. My first visit to the new IST airport was for a 2-hour connection. The flight was on time, I am pretty sure there was no security control, and the connection was departing from two gates down the hall. I only managed half an hour in the lounge due to stressing over about the walk back to where I had come from (I obviously hadn't been familiar with the airport and I hadn't been timing the distance on the way to the lounge). On the other hand, when I have a 2-hour connection at BRU, I spend more like 80-90 minutes in the lounge.
Shops know that you will come parched and famished after that 45+ min taxiing and 30min walk from arrival gate to transit customs in that mess of an airport.
Also, randomly, you cannot get a Coke (or Pepsi) in the Turkish Airlines lounge (which is otherwise excellent)
There's definitely some weird commercial arrangements going on behind the scenes here.
Coca Cola products were removed in some sort of a weird boycott because Coca Cola does business in countries Turkey doesn't like (while they're very cool with Russia of course). It's quite pathetic to inconvenience your customers because of your dubious political orientation, especially when you're trying to be a truly global airline.
Someone tell the Turks that Burger King has branches all over Israel
Nor can you get sparkling water (just some weird Turkish soda water brand), champagne or any spirits. Other than some of the food it’s a poor lounge these days trading on previous reputation, it’s also so busy at peak times that perhaps that’s why cafes in IST charge so much as I’d probably rather sit in one…