Selçuk (Ephesus) vs Trabzon
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Selçuk (Ephesus) $35–75, Trabzon $35–75 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in May, Sep, 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) | 🇹🇷 Trabzon | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $35–75 | $35–75 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $3–6 | $3–5 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $35–70cheaper | $40–80 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.40–0.70 | $0.40–0.70 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $500–650 | ≈ $550–750 |
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$$Restaurants
- Şirince village wine houses$Wine & cafés
- Ephesus Archaeological Museum$Culture & landmarks
- Basilica of St. John$Culture & landmarks
🇹🇷 Trabzon
A green, misty Black Sea city that feels like a different country from the Aegean coast — tea plantations climbing the hills, a cliffside Byzantine monastery nearby, and a gateway to the Kaçkar Mountains.
- Cemilüsta$$Restaurants
- Boztepe Tea Garden$Tea houses & cafés
- Sümela Monastery$$Culture & landmarks
- Hagia Sophia of Trabzon$Culture & landmarks
Practicalities
| Selçuk (Ephesus) | Trabzon | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Turkish. English is common around the Ephesus site and tourist-facing hotels, less so in the town's everyday shops and cafés. | Turkish, with the distinctive local Black Sea dialect and accent. English is noticeably less common here than on the Aegean/Mediterranean coast — outside hotels, expect to lean on translation apps. |
| Tap water | Stick to bottled — locals mostly do | Generally fine in the city given the region's abundant fresh water, but most visitors stick to bottled to be safe |
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
- Emergency
- 112 (all services)