Moving to Turkey from China
What to Expect
Considering a move from China to Turkey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from China to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 28.7% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly TRY4,730,000 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 China and Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → TRY4,730,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 17.6% less
Transportation
pay 56.5% more
Housing
pay 44.9% more
Childcare
pay 6.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.5% 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 49% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from China to Turkey.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Turkey compared to China.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
China 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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Turkey performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
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
China 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
China 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
China generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Beijing | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Beijing | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting China
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 China?
On average Turkey is around 29% pricier than China, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Budget about TRY1,182,500 for 3 months in Turkey (based on a CN¥500,000 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: 23.4 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?
China generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Turkey is 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in suicide rate. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 31.1 in China. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to China?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In China, the official language is Chinese.
