Moving to Turkey from Bulgaria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bulgaria to Turkey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bulgaria to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 8.9% more expensive than Bulgaria overall. A BGN128,505 salary in Bulgaria would need to be roughly TRY4,177,815 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bulgaria and Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
BGN128,505 → TRY4,177,815
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 24.6% less
Groceries
pay 29.1% less
Transportation
pay 15.6% more
Housing
pay 12.1% more
Childcare
pay 47.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.9% more
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 19% more than cities in Bulgaria.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Bulgaria to Turkey.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Turkey compared to Bulgaria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Bulgaria generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Bulgaria generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in internet access.
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
Bulgaria generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bulgaria generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.
Data: National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, 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 | Sofia | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sofia | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/23°F (2.2°/-4.9°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 41°/27°F (4.9°/-2.9°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 50°/33°F (9.8°/0.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 60°/41°F (15.7°/4.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.3°/9.0°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 74°/54°F (23.5°/12.1°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 79°/57°F (25.9°/13.8°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 79°/56°F (26.0°/13.4°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 73°/51°F (22.6°/10.4°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 62°/42°F (16.6°/5.7°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 49°/34°F (9.6°/1.2°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.7°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bulgaria 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.
Bulgaria passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting Bulgaria
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 Bulgaria?
On average Turkey is around 19% pricier than Bulgaria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Budget about TRY1,044,454 for 3 months in Turkey (based on a BGN128,505 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
Connectivity is usually fine (Turkey: 22.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Turkey offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Bulgaria generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bulgaria. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Bulgaria?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bulgaria leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 49.0 in Bulgaria. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bulgaria: 73).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Bulgaria?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 59°F in Sofia. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Sofia gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Bulgaria, the official language is Bulgarian.
