Moving to Turkey from Kenya
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kenya to Turkey — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kenya to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 77.7% more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,690,000 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly TRY6,601,040 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 74°F in Nairobi, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kenya to Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,690,000 → TRY6,601,040
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 79.4% more
Groceries
pay 18.7% more
Transportation
pay 24.5% more
Housing
pay 89.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.6% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Kenya to Turkey, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kenya to Turkey.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics.
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 Kenya 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
Kenya performs better than Turkey across all environment metrics.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Kenya leads in water stress level.
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
Kenya generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in gdp per capita.
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 Kenya leads in education spending.
Data: Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Nairobi | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya 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.
Kenya passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holder visiting Kenya
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Kenya?
No — Turkey is on average about 87% more expensive than Kenya. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly TRY1,650,260 in Turkey on a KES9,690,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Turkey has 22.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Turkey performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Kenya?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
