Selçuk (Ephesus) vs Konya
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Selçuk (Ephesus) $35–75, Konya $30–65 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Apr–May, Sep–Oct, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇹🇷 Selçuk (Ephesus) | 🇹🇷 Konya | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $35–75 | $30–65 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $3–6 | $2.50–5cheaper |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $35–70 | $35–70 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.40–0.70cheaper | $0.50–0.75 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $500–650 | ≈ $600–850 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇹🇷 Selçuk (Ephesus)
A small, easygoing Aegean town that happens to sit next door to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities on earth — plus a Byzantine castle on the hill and a wine village just up the road.
- Old House Restaurant$$Restaurants
- Şirince village wine houses$Wine & cafés
- Ephesus Archaeological Museum$Culture & landmarks
- Basilica of St. John$Culture & landmarks
🇹🇷 Konya
A conservative, deeply traditional Anatolian city built around the tomb of the poet-mystic Rumi — home of the whirling dervishes, Seljuk architecture, and a slower, more devout pace than Türkiye's coastal cities.
- Cemo Restaurant$Restaurants
- Mevlana Cultural Center$Sufi music & culture
- Mevlana Museum (Rumi's Tomb)$Culture & landmarks
- Bedesten Bazaar$Culture & landmarks
Practicalities
| Selçuk (Ephesus) | Konya | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Turkish. English is common around the Ephesus site and tourist-facing hotels, less so in the town's everyday shops and cafés. | Turkish, spoken with limited English outside hotels and the Mevlana Museum area — this is a domestic and religious-tourism destination more than an international one. |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Turkish lira (₺) — volatile; US$1 ≈ ₺40 and moving. This guide quotes USD for stability.
- Time zone
- TRT (UTC+3), year-round
- Power
- Type C/F plugs, 230V
- Tap water
- Stick to bottled — locals mostly do
- Emergency
- 112 (all services)