Moving to Turkey from India

moving to

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 3.2 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,247,970 salary in India would need to be roughly TRY10,002,272 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 — Ankara averages 64°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to Turkey.

What does your salary buy?

₹7,247,970 TRY10,002,272

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.7 times more

Groceries

pay 74.9% more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 2.9 times more

Childcare

pay 8.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 85.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 INR = 0.4878 TRY (July 2026)

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 158% more than cities in India.

India

Mumbai 24%
Gurgaon 21%
Pune 20%
Hyderabad 20%
Delhi 19%

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Compare cities head-to-head

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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.

Moved in 2023
3,434 ↑ 37% vs 2022

people moved from India to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Turkey?

Top countries of origin for Turkey's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How India and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IN
2.8
TR
2.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IN
15.4
TR
6.5

Turkey performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

IN
$346
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

IN
7.3
TR
21.7

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IN
83.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IN
2.2t
TR
5.4t

India generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IN
2.4
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IN
66.5%
TR
43.4%

Turkey performs significantly better than India across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IN
4.2%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$9,200
TR
$34,400

Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IN
67.2 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IN
30.3
TR
19.4

Turkey generally does better on family life, though India leads in education spending.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ankara Rain: 15.0 in/yr (382 mm)
64° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Delhi Ankara
Jan–Mar 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Delhi Ankara
Jan 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

India passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Turkey.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting India

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter India.

Data: 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 183% 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 ₹7,247,970 comparable salary, that's around TRY2,500,568 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Turkey?

With 22.3 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?

Turkey performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 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 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 7.3 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 Ankara is 64°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Ankara receives around 15.0 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.

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At a Glance

IN TR
Population 1,389,637,446 83,047,706
Currency Indian Rupee (₹) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages English, Hindi, Tamil Turkish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +91 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112