What is the regular budget one has to count on per month in order to rent a small apartment (small apartment is okay, it may even be very small -- I don't fancy sharing a flat though) + food + electricity + laundry etc...

The company inviting me for a job interview offers 1200 New Lira per month, over 1300 when working 1 or 2 extra weekend days.

As the 'emlak' sites show ca 400-550 Lira per month for the average flat, I'd expect the 1200 to be enough, but I thought I'd ask in advance just to be sure.

How many days a week is that for 1,200 YTL, is that for full time 5 days a week, i mean i would be pushing for something around the 2,000 mark at least for that amount of work unless they are subsidizing accommodation?

I'd say 1200YTL is stretching it very far, unless you want to live in the suburbs. If you want to live in the centre e.g. Takism or Beoglu I'd reckon that 1200YTL is about what you will pay for the rent.

Impossible! Simple as that. Even sharing that's stretching it.

On some occasions i have had to live on that, but with that wage through part time work rather than full time and it is a really big stretch, if your wanting a flat for 400-500 YTL i would imagine that is not in the centre and then you are not factoring in furniture and Emlak fees. It is possible to get just a room in a shared place for possibly 550-600 inclusive of bills. I mean to give an example i lived in a cramped damp two bed place in Sisli-Fulya which cost 900 a month for the pleasure!

I checked a few emlak sites and some of them did list apartments for 400-500 YTL. The lady of the company I spoke with said most get around very easily. Of course I have no idea if those apartments on those emlak sites are any good and if they're somewhat central, I also don't really have an idea of the costs of everyday life as being a tourist in a city is something completely different than actually living there.

What were the areas named on the adverts, any examples as that will help us know if they are central or nice areas?

with all due respect to siduri...i rented a furnished bachelor loft in beyoglu for 600 YTL a month so this 1200ytl figure, not sure where you're getting that from. when i was looking, there were plenty of offerings in the 800 range.

YTL2000 minimum to live on if you are sorted for health insurance, don't want to party too much and are happy to eat cheaply continuously - apartments at YTL800 are hard to find, looking at YTL1,000 really. I pay YTL800 but plus the rubbish man and bills, it's YTL1,000. Great for Cihangir but still impossibly overpriced. YTL400-500 is bull really. You can rarely find a room for that price. They are just eager to get you interested and disappointed so you double your budget.

That wage is very bad. They are taking the piss. Don't take a bad contract. Really ask for our help!

Yes i would say the same, you are unlikely to get a room with bills for less than 500, i live on the cheaper end of Beyoğlu and pay overall 500 a month for a room and bills and for an apartment you would be paying as much as Charly says.