Moving to Turkey from Belgium
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Belgium to Turkey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Belgium to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 48.9% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly TRY1,900,000 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Turkey cheaper than Belgium?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 58.5% less
Groceries
pay 53.5% less
Transportation
pay 25.6% less
Housing
pay 57.9% less
Childcare
pay 37.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Turkey?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → TRY1,900,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →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 Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Turkey
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Belgium to Turkey, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Belgium to Turkey.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Belgium 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
Belgium 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
Belgium 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
Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in water stress level.
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
Belgium 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
Belgium performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs Belgium
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from Belgium to Turkey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium 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.
Belgium passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting Belgium
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 Belgium?
Yes — Turkey is on average about 49% cheaper than Belgium. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly TRY475,000 in Turkey on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Turkey has 23.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Belgium performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Belgium?
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
