Moving to Turkey from Macedonia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Macedonia to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Macedonia to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 21.4% more expensive than Macedonia overall. A MKD4,100,000 salary in Macedonia would need to be roughly TRY4,490,000 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Turkey cheaper than Macedonia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 10.1% more
Groceries
pay 10.8% less
Transportation
pay 12.2% more
Housing
pay 41.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.3% 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.
What salary do you need in Turkey?
What does your salary buy?
MKD4,100,000 → TRY4,490,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →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 18% more than cities in Macedonia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Turkey
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Macedonia to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Macedonia to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Macedonia and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Macedonia performs better than Turkey 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 Macedonia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Macedonia generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Macedonia generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey 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
Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Macedonia leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Macedonia generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Public Revenue Office (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs Macedonia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Skopje | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Skopje | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from Macedonia to Turkey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Macedonia 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.
Macedonia passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa FreeData: 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 Macedonia?
Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 21% higher than Macedonia 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 MKD4,100,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,122,500 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
With 23.4 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 Macedonia and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Macedonia performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Macedonia.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Macedonia?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 29.4 in Macedonia. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Macedonia: 74).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Macedonia?
The average high temperature in Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 65°F in Skopje. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Skopje gets 19.8 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian.
