Cost comparisons for treatment in Turkey usually stop at "it's roughly a quarter of the UK price." What that framing leaves out is currency — and currency has, if anything, made the gap wider over the past several years, not narrower.
The Lira Has Weakened Sharply Against the Pound
Trend
GBP/TRY Exchange Rate, 2020–2026
Approximate Turkish lira received per 1 British pound.
| Category | TRY per £1 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2024 | 43 |
| 2026 | 48 |
Source: Historical GBP/TRY exchange rate data, XE/OANDA
The Turkish lira has depreciated substantially against the pound since 2020, meaning a fixed amount of sterling now converts into significantly more lira than it used to. Turkish domestic prices, including clinic pricing, have risen alongside high local inflation over the same period — but not nearly fast enough to offset the currency move, which is exactly why the underlying cost advantage covered in our dental, hair transplant and cosmetic surgery cost comparisons has held up, and in some cases widened.
Why the Gap Hasn't Closed Despite Local Inflation
Currency & Cost, at a Glance
~5x
lira depreciation against the pound, 2020–2026
USD/EUR
currency many Istanbul clinics price international treatment in
60-75%
typical savings vs UK pricing that have held up regardless
Source: Historical exchange rate data, XE/OANDA; AestheticaLife treatment-page pricing analysis, 2026
Many established Istanbul clinics — including the ones AestheticaLife works with — price international patient treatment partly in USD or EUR precisely to manage this currency volatility on their own side, rather than repricing in lira month to month. That's part of why the pound-for-pound savings you see quoted today are a reasonably stable, dependable figure rather than something that could evaporate on a bad exchange-rate week.
Key takeaway: Currency depreciation and local inflation have been moving in the same direction for years, largely cancelling each other out from a foreign patient's perspective — which is why the underlying savings on treatment in Turkey have remained durable rather than shrinking over time.
What This Means for Timing Your Treatment
Exchange rates do fluctuate week to week, and if you're paying directly rather than through a fixed-price quote, it's worth checking the rate at the time of booking versus the time of travel. Booking through AestheticaLife removes most of this uncertainty — your quote is confirmed in your home currency before you travel, so a currency swing between booking and treatment isn't something you need to plan around. Request a free, no-obligation personalised quote to see a confirmed price for your specific treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the Turkish lira's decline made treatment even cheaper for UK and US patients?
The lira has weakened substantially against the pound and dollar since 2020, and while Turkish domestic prices have risen with local inflation, the two effects have broadly offset each other — meaning the underlying savings for foreign patients have stayed durable rather than shrinking.
Do Turkish clinics price treatment in lira or in foreign currency?
Many clinics that treat significant numbers of international patients, including those AestheticaLife works with, price treatment partly in USD or EUR specifically to manage currency volatility, rather than repricing purely in lira.
Could exchange rate swings make my quoted price change before I travel?
Not through AestheticaLife — your quote is confirmed in your home currency at the time of booking, so you're not exposed to exchange rate movement between booking and treatment.
Is it still worth comparing prices in my own currency before booking?
Yes — always compare using your own currency rather than lira figures, since that's the number that actually reflects what you'll pay. Request a personalised quote for a confirmed price in your currency.