Moving to Turkey from Kansas

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kansas to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 33.2% cheaper than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly TRY2,972,289 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 TRY2,972,289

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 49.5% less

Groceries

pay 46.6% less

Transportation

pay 11.8% more

Housing

pay 65.5% less

Childcare

pay 42.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 42.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 46.45 TRY (June 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 25% less than cities in Kansas.

Kansas

Lawrence 57%

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

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 Kansas to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,728 ↓ 44% vs 2022

people moved from United States 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 Kansas and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KS
36.8%
TR
32.1%

Turkey performs significantly better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

KS
89.5%
TR
81.0%

Kansas performs better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KS
3.4%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KS
$60,996
TR
$34,400

Kansas performs better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

KS
76.4 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs

Kansas performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Topeka Ankara
Jan–Mar 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Topeka Ankara
Jan 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

United States passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter United States.

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 Kansas?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 15% cheaper than Kansas 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 TRY743,072 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 Kansas and Turkey.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Kansas?

Turkey performs significantly better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Kansas, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

TR
Population 2,853,118 83,047,706
Currency United States Dollar ($) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages English Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +90
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112