Moving to Turkey from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 40.9% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,450 salary in Australia would need to be roughly TRY2,563,138 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,450 → TRY2,563,138
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 53.1% less
Groceries
pay 50.7% less
Transportation
pay 12.0% less
Housing
pay 65.2% less
Childcare
pay 45.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Turkey cost about 18% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Australia to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Turkey. To live, work, or study long-term in Turkey, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Turkey's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa on Arrival
Turkey passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Turkey than Australia?
Generally yes: Turkey runs about 28% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,450 comparable salary, that's around TRY640,784 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
With 22.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Turkey can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Australia, the official language is English.
