Moving to Turkey from Kuwait

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kuwait to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 20.4% more expensive than Kuwait overall. A KWD23,224 salary in Kuwait would need to be roughly TRY3,714,454 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ankara averages 64°F vs 94°F in Kuwait City, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

KWD23,224 TRY3,714,454

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 33.8% more

Groceries

pay 7.3% less

Transportation

pay 70.2% more

Housing

pay 33.3% less

Childcare

pay 93.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 33.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KWD = 151.73 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 Kuwait to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,277 ↓ 31% vs 2022

people moved from Kuwait 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 Kuwait 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

KW
0.2
TR
2.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

KW
9.2
TR
6.5

Kuwait generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

KW
$2,567
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

KW
22.9
TR
21.7

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KW
45.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KW
23.7t
TR
5.4t

Turkey performs significantly better than Kuwait 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

KW
1.5
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KW
3850.5%
TR
43.4%

Kuwait generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KW
2.1%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KW
$50,800
TR
$34,400

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KW
79.1 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KW
7.4
TR
19.4

Kuwait generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in literacy rate.

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kuwait City Rain: 4.6 in/yr (116 mm)
94° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kuwait City Ankara
Jan–Mar 73°/51°F (23°/11°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 104°/76°F (40°/25°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 114°/84°F (46°/29°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Kuwait City Ankara
Jan 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kuwait 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.

Kuwait passport

Kuwait passport holder visiting Turkey

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

Turkey passport holder visiting Kuwait

Visa on Arrival
Turkey passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Kuwait.

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 Kuwait?

Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 5% higher than Kuwait 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 KWD23,224 comparable salary, that's around TRY928,614 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 Kuwait and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Kuwait generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Kuwait.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Kuwait?

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 22.9 in Kuwait. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kuwait: 78).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 94°F in Kuwait City. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Kuwait City gets 4.6 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Kuwait, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

KW TR
Population 3,068,155 83,047,706
Currency Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Arabic Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +965 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112