Moving to Turkey from Illinois
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Illinois to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Illinois to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 53.1% cheaper than Illinois. A $75,000 salary in Illinois would need to be roughly TRY1,740,000 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 Illinois?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 48.3% less
Groceries
pay 60.4% less
Transportation
pay 9.6% less
Housing
pay 68.2% less
Childcare
pay 48.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.9% 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?
$75,000 → TRY1,740,000
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 23% less than cities in Illinois.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Turkey
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Illinois to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Illinois and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Turkey performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Turkey performs significantly better than Illinois across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Turkey performs significantly better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs Illinois
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Chicago | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Chicago | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from Illinois to Turkey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting United States
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 Illinois?
Generally yes: Turkey runs about 53% cheaper than Illinois 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY435,000 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
Working remotely from Turkey's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Illinois and Turkey.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Illinois?
Turkey performs significantly better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Illinois?
The average high temperature in Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 59°F in Chicago. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Chicago gets 36.9 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Illinois, the official language is English.
