Ankara - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
If you speak Turkish or don’t mind Google Translate, easy to find housekeeper and nanny help fairly easily, usually via informal networks. (There are formal companies too, but they tend to employ Central Asians.) If you must have an English speaker, there’s a big Filipino community as well, all of whom are also very good but cost considerably more. - Nov 2023
There are many Turkish and foreign household help to choose from. Most want to be paid in USD and most want around $10/hour. - Jan 2023
Typical cost is about $10/hour. If you hire full time, you'll pay less than that. Most seem to be Turkish or Filipino. Many people have a nanny and/or housekeeper. Some fulfill both roles. Some also cook. Most people drive themselves, so a driver is much less common. It is fairly common to have someone come 1-2x a week to clean, or have someone just in afternoons to clean and do childcare. Full time is less common unless both parents work and need full time child care. - Nov 2021
There are many affordable options for nannies and housekeepers in Ankara. There is a large Filipino expat community that charges, on average US 10 an hour for housekeeping or nanny services. Turkish help is also widely available and while pricing varies, is generally more affordable. One full day of house cleaning (8 hours) is roughly 200TL or US 26. - Sep 2020
We didn't hire help, but know many who did. None seemed to have trouble finding household help. English is not at all widely spoken in Ankara, so those that didn't speak much Turkish hired helpers that appeared to be originally from Asia. Since embassy housing is clustered, it was common for families to split the services of part-time household help. - Oct 2018
Turkish household help is available, but no good unless you speak Turkish. Filipino household help is also available, for around TL 25 per hour. - Oct 2018
Typical rate is US$10/hour for babysittes/housekeepers. Would be less if it was full time, then the rate is usually US$1000/month. - Sep 2018
We were able to find a maid through word of mouth. There have been a lot of issues with third country national staff at this post. Make sure you do background checks on your staff and only hire those who have legal papers. - Jul 2018
Available and affordable. Not as cheap as in the Gulf, but you can hire Turks or Filipinos here and they do a decent job. - Oct 2017
Household help runs around $50 - $60 a day. Most people have a housekeeper that comes once a week. A few folks have nannies but I don't know what they cost as I don't have kids at this point. - Sep 2017
Household help is usually around $50 - $60 a day. Most people don't have full time help. As long as you keep their hours below 20 a week you avoid a lot of the headache that comes with being an employer. - Jun 2017
More expensive than other places we've been. We have a full time housekeeper and nanny and pay her US$10/hour. - Sep 2016
Available for about $50 per day, could negotiate a better deal if hiring someone full time. - Jun 2016
Locally available help, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently made the requirements much more formal, so no more cash for service set-ups. - Aug 2015
Available, about US$60 a day for a full day of house cleaning. Unsure of child care costs. - Apr 2015
It is available. Many have someone come once a week to help out. We have not hired anyone - not really a need with a tiny apartment. - Feb 2015
Cleaners are about US$55 a day. - Jun 2014
Available. Around US$50 a day - Apr 2014
About US$50-70 a day. US$1,000 a month for full time help. This is not a 3rd world country and you get what you pay for. - Mar 2014
Available and decently priced. - Mar 2014
Not as cheap as you would think. Usually anywhere from US$50 to $80 per day, plus transportation costs. - Jul 2013
Most people have a housekeeper for one day a week. It is reasonable ($50-60). - Aug 2011
Domestic help is easy to find here. We pay 40 dollars a week for one day during the week. - Jul 2010
