Moving to Turkey from Italy

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Italy to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Italy to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 31.5% cheaper than Italy overall. A €65,700 salary in Italy would need to be roughly TRY2,780,919 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 TRY2,780,919

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 55.5% less

Groceries

pay 50.2% less

Transportation

pay 23.6% less

Housing

pay 49.5% less

Childcare

pay 0.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 24.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 53.64 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 12% less than cities in Italy.

Italy

Milan 69%
Varese 59%
Venice 59%
Monza 59%
Rome 57%

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Italy to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
495 ↓ 14% vs 2022

people moved from Italy 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 Italy 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

IT
0.6
TR
2.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

IT
61%
TR
61%

Italy generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IT
$4,993
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IT
42.5
TR
21.7

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey 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

IT
15.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IT
5.1t
TR
5.4t

Italy performs better than Turkey across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IT
31.5
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IT
29.6%
TR
43.4%

Italy generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IT
7.6%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IT
$52,700
TR
$34,400

Italy generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IT
82.6 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IT
3.2
TR
19.4

Italy performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Data: Italian Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rome Ankara
Jan–Mar 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Rome Ankara
Jan 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Italy 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.

Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Italy passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Italy

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

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 Italy?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 21% cheaper than Italy 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around TRY695,230 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 Italy and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Italy generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Italy. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Italy?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 42.5 in Italy. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Italy: 84).

What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Italy?

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 69°F in Rome. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Rome gets 31.7 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Italy, the official languages are Catalan and Italian.

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At a Glance

IT TR
Population 61,095,551 83,047,706
Currency Euro (€) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Catalan, Italian Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +39 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112