The Real Cost of Utilities and Bills in Şanlıurfa Almost Made Me Quit Spray Painting (Here's What I Learned)

so i'm a street artist, which in şanlıurfa means i'm either painting on someone's shutter with permission or running from the police. utility bills? didn't think about 'em 'til i got the first one. thought, 'how bad could it be?' famous last words. i moved here from Istanbul chasing cheaper everything and wider walls. what i didn't chase was the insane summer electricity bill. Şanlıurfa is a furnace-like, 45°c furnace-and unless you're a camel, you need ac. my little studio apartment in kıraçtepe? rent's 2200 tl a month, which is a steal. but electricity? june through september, it's 800-1200 tl because i'm running that split unit 24/7. the landlord says 'just open windows,' but have you smelled the şanlıurfa summer air? it's dust, diesel, and despair. water's cheap though, 150 tl max, but every thursday the municipality cuts it for 'maintenance' so you learn to shower on wednesdays. internet's 200 tl for 100 mbps-decent, but during peak hours it's like watching paint dry. oh, paint. my actual job. spray cans, rollers, stencils-budget 500 tl a month if i'm not doing a big piece.

> ‘baba says the water gets cut every thursday for cleaning, don't bother washing clothes then,’ whispered my neighbor's kid, handing me a çay. he was right, of course. wasted two loads of laundry that first month.

> over at the bazaar, i heard an old timer muttering: 'they raised the per kwh price again. next winter we'll all be burning olive branches.' winter here is mildish but still, you need heat. electric heaters? no thanks.

the weather right now is a physical entity. it's july, 42°c, and the humidity is 20% so it's a dry heat but still oppressive. the euphrates river is a 20-minute scooter ride away-you'd think it'd cool things down, but it's basically a warm bath. still, it's where i go to sketch sometimes, sitting on the bank with my cheap notebook. neighbors? gaziantep is two hours east-food paradise, insane baklava, but feels like a different country with its own vibe. mardin is an hour south, all stone houses and Assyrian churches. şanlıurfa is the odd one out: ancient, religious, conservative. street art? exists but politely. you won't see big murals like in Beyoğlu. more like small stickers and tags in back alleys. the cops are chill if you're not painting religious stuff or government buildings. i got a warning once for painting near the halil-ibrahim mosque-tread lightly, man.

safety: yeah, it's safe. i walk around at night with my backpack of spray cans and no one bats an eye. but it's conservative, so dress modestly if you're hitting the bazaar at 10 pm. job market? rough. youth unemployment is high. most folks work in agriculture or small shops. as an artist, i survive on commissions from cafes and a few tourists. speaking of tourists-they come for the balıklıgöl and the prophecy stuff, but not many stay long. which is fine by me; less competition for wall space.

now, the bills. i've learned to game the system. i got a solar panel thing from a local guy-illegal but common-shaves 30% off electricity. water? i collect rainwater in barrels during the rare winter rain (joke's on them). internet? i share with my neighbor; we split the cost. rent? i sublet a corner from a family with three kids-they're loud but cheap. total monthly utilities? around 1400 tl including my half of rent's utilities? wait no, rent is separate. let's clarify: rent 2200 tl, electricity avg 1000 tl, water 150 tl, internet 200 tl, phone 100 tl, building fees 300 tl. so roughly 3850 tl all in. that's about $110 usd at today's rate. for a whole apartment. in Istanbul, that'd be 8000 tl easy. but still, it's a chunk when you're earning from random art jobs.

oh! and the municipality sent me a letter last week-some new 'environmental tax' because i have a balcony. i asked my landlord, he laughed and said 'just pay it, they'll cut your water if you don't.' classic.

if you're thinking of moving here, here's my drunk advice:
- get a place with solar water heating (it's a thing here)
- avoid ground-floor apartments-they get dusty af
- make friends with the lokanta guy; he'll give you leftovers for cheap
- and for god's sake, don't paint anything green near the police station. not sure why, but a local graffiti kid told me that.

some local warnings i've gathered:
> 'don't trust the '24/7' generator promises during cuts-they lie.' - from a cafe owner during a power outage
> 'if your water smells like eggs, it's the sulfur. drink it anyway.' - my water guy, shrugs

external links i've used to survive:
TripAdvisor's thing on Şanlıurfa for the must-see spots that aren't boring.
Yelp page for Çiğ Köfteci or whatever - yes, there's Yelp here, sort of.
r/Turkey subreddit where people occasionally post about şanlıurfa costs.
and this local board where old men argue about everything including water prices.

map:

so yeah, utilities here are a rollercoaster. but i'm staying. the walls are big, the rent's cheap, and the heat makes the paint dry fast. what more does a street artist need?

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