Moving to Turkey from Australia

moving to

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 54.2% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly TRY1,730,000 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.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Turkey.

What does your salary buy?

A$110,000 → TRY1,730,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 50.7% less

Groceries

pay 59.8% less

Transportation

pay 17.1% less

Housing

pay 66.2% less

Childcare

pay 52.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 51.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 34.38 TRY (October 2026)

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 24% less than cities in Australia.

Australia

Sydney 69%
Perth 64%
Melbourne 62%
Adelaide 60%

Turkey

Fethiye 59%
Istanbul 53%
Antalya 43%
Izmir 42%

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.

Moved in 2023
192 ↓ 42% vs 2022

people moved from Australia to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Turkey?

Top countries of origin for Turkey's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Australia and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AU
0.8
TR
3.2
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AU
4.5
TR
6.5

Australia performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AU
$7,691
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AU
40.9
TR
22.4

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AU
10.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AU
14.1t
TR
5.4t

Australia generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AU
36.5
TR
23.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AU
4.7%
TR
47.9%

Australia performs better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
4.1%
TR
8.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$65,130
TR
$18,599

Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AU
83.0 yrs
TR
77.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AU
3.1
TR
8.0

Australia performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ankara Rain: 15.0 in/yr (382 mm)
64° / 43°F

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 Bureau of Meteorology, Turkish State Meteorological Service 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

Australia passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa on Arrival
Australia passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Turkey.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Australia

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter Australia.

Data: 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 54% 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$110,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY432,500 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Turkey?

With 23.4 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 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Australia?

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 40.9 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.

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At a Glance

AU TR
Population 27,614,411 85,878,556
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages English Turkish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +61 +90
Time zones 8 1
Emergency number 000 112