You're standing at a bustling exchange booth in Sultanahmet, staring at the digital board. The numbers flicker. If you're looking at turkish money to euro rates today, you're likely feeling a mix of confusion and "wait, is that right?" Honestly, I get it. The Turkish Lira (TRY) has been on a wild ride that would make most roller coasters look like a flat line.
As of mid-January 2026, the Lira is sitting somewhere around 50 to 51 per Euro. Just let that sink in for a second. A few years ago, we were talking about single digits. Now, a single 100 Euro note gets you a thick stack of 200 Lira bills—enough to make you feel like a high roller until you actually go to pay for a nice dinner in Bodrum or Istanbul.
Why the Lira moves the way it does
The math behind turkish money to euro isn't just about supply and demand; it's a saga of interest rates, "inflation-busting" policies, and a Central Bank (CBRT) that finally decided to play hardball.
For a long time, Turkey did things... differently. While the rest of the world hiked interest rates to fight inflation, Ankara kept them low. It was an experiment that sent the Lira into a tailspin. But things shifted. By the end of 2024, the policy rate hit 50%. Recently, as of late 2025 and moving into 2026, the Central Bank has started a cautious easing cycle. They cut rates to 38% in December 2025 because inflation finally started to cool down.
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Annual inflation slowed to about 30.9% in December, which sounds high—and it is—but compared to the 75% peaks we saw previously, it feels like a win for the local economy.
The Euro vs. Lira debate for travelers
If you're heading to Turkey, you've probably heard conflicting advice. "Bring Euros! Everything is priced in them!" or "No, use Lira to get the local price!"
Here is the reality on the ground:
In high-end tourist spots, hotels and carpet shops love the Euro. They’ll quote you a price in Euros because it’s stable. However, if you pay in Euros for a coffee or a taxi, the "tourist exchange rate" they apply is almost always terrible. Basically, you're paying a 10-15% convenience tax.
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Pro tip: Always pay in Lira for daily expenses. Use your Revolut, Wise, or a travel-friendly credit card to pull Lira from an ATM (look for PTT or state banks like Ziraat to avoid the predatory fees of private ATMs).
What most people get wrong about the exchange
One huge misconception is that a "weak" Lira makes Turkey "cheap."
It’s a bit of a mirage.
While your Euro buys more Lira than ever, local prices have skyrocketed to keep up. A kebab that cost 40 Lira two years ago might be 350 Lira now. When you do the conversion of turkish money to euro, you'll often find that the price in "hard currency" is roughly the same as it was, or sometimes even more expensive due to the sheer velocity of local inflation.
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Looking ahead: What happens next?
Economists at places like ING and the UN are projecting that inflation will continue to drop, maybe hitting the low 20s by the end of 2026. The Central Bank's Governor, Fatih Karahan, is sticking to a roadmap that prioritizes "price stability."
What does this mean for the turkish money to euro exchange rate?
Don't expect the Lira to suddenly regain its old strength. The goal isn't to make the Lira "strong" again in the sense of going back to 10:1; the goal is to make it predictable. Investors hate surprises. If the Lira can stop losing 30% of its value every year, it becomes a "carry trade" favorite again because of those high interest rates.
Actionable steps for managing your money
If you are dealing with Turkish Lira right now, whether for business or travel, here is how to handle it:
- Don't hoard Lira: If you're a traveler, only exchange what you need for 2-3 days. The currency is still volatile enough that holding too much "paper" can lose you money by the end of your trip.
- Watch the "Spread": At airports, the difference between the buy and sell price for turkish money to euro is often 15%. Walk 10 minutes into the city center or use a bank-affiliated ATM instead.
- Check the "Market Rate" vs. "Grand Bazaar Rate": Sometimes the exchange offices in the Grand Bazaar (the Tahtakale market) offer better rates than the official banks. It’s a quirk of the Turkish financial system where the "street" market is often more liquid than the formal one.
- Use credit cards for big wins: Most Turkish retailers have sophisticated POS systems. If your card offers a good mid-market rate, just tap and pay. Always choose "Pay in Lira" if the machine asks you—let your home bank do the conversion, not the Turkish bank.
The relationship between turkish money to euro is finally moving out of its "crisis" phase and into a "stabilization" phase. It’s still expensive for locals, and it’s still a bargain for Europeans, but the era of 5% daily swings seems to be, hopefully, behind us.
To get the most value, monitor the CBRT’s monthly interest rate decisions. If they cut rates too fast, the Lira will likely weaken against the Euro again. If they hold steady, you might see a rare period of Lira strength throughout the 2026 summer season.