Moving to Turkey from Kentucky

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kentucky to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 33.1% cheaper than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly TRY2,931,839 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 Kentucky to Turkey.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 TRY2,931,839

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 49.6% less

Groceries

pay 44.8% less

Transportation

pay 3.8% more

Housing

pay 65.7% less

Childcare

pay 55.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 26.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 47.14 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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

KY
38.2%
TR
32.1%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

KY
87.4%
TR
81.0%

Kentucky 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

KY
3.5%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KY
$50,135
TR
$34,400

Kentucky generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

KY
73.5 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs

Turkey performs significantly better than Kentucky 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.

Bowling Green Rain: 49.9 in/yr (1267 mm)
69° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bowling Green Ankara
Jan–Mar 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Bowling Green Ankara
Jan 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°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 Kentucky?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 17% cheaper than Kentucky 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 TRY732,960 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 Kentucky and Turkey.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Kentucky?

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

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

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

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At a Glance

TR
Population 4,339,367 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