Istanbul - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
There is a Filipina nanny mafia, and we absolutely loved our housekeeper/nanny. She came recommended from another Consulate family. Help is generally $1000-1500 a month for full time. The nannies are generally live-out, but I heard of one or two that had live-in. She did everything: watched kids, got homework done, cleaned, did laundry, went shopping for us, and ordered our water. She spoke fluent Turkish, which was a lifesaver more than once in terms of helping us with local phone calls. There are also nannies who cobble together part time work, and I know families/singles that took that option. Some people have written contracts with their nannies, but we just spoke through agreements with her and it worked out fine. In general, people don't hire Turkish housekeepers, as we heard they were less reliable and more expensive. - Aug 2021
Household help is plentiful. Housekeepers are around $50-70/per day (and prefer to be paid in dollars, versus local currency). - Sep 2017
Expensive, like everywhere else. - Oct 2010
I have a Filipino cleaner because I find it easier to communicate with her culturally and pay her more than the cost of a Turkish cleaner as a result - 75 YTL ($40) but will do things their own way which often involves turning the whole house upside down in their insistance on making things spotless which I find unnerving! - Jan 2010
Available but not cheap. About $60 a day - Jan 2010
For $50 a day you can get someone for 8 hours to clean, cook, and shop. - Dec 2009
Domestic help is available, and typically runs $20-30 an hour for an English-speaking maid. - Dec 2009
