Moving to Turkey from India
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from India to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 2.7 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,100,000 salary in India would need to be roughly TRY10,200,000 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Istanbul averages 65°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Turkey cheaper than India?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.0 times more
Groceries
pay 68.7% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 3.5 times more
Childcare
pay 10.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 99.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Turkey?
What does your salary buy?
₹7,100,000 → TRY10,200,000
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 151% more than cities in India.
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 India to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How India and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
India 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 India 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
India 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
Turkey performs significantly better than India 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
Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Turkey generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), The World Factbook (2011). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs India
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Delhi | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Delhi | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
India Meteorological Department,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from India to Turkey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.
India passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holder visiting India
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 India?
Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 175% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 ₹7,100,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY2,550,000 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 India and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
India 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 2.8 in India.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to India?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 7.2 in India. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to India?
The average high temperature in Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.
