Moving to Turkey from Morocco

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Morocco to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 62.1% more expensive than Morocco overall. A MAD701,348 salary in Morocco would need to be roughly TRY4,781,801 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 73°F in Rabat, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

MAD701,348 TRY4,781,801

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 51.2% more

Groceries

pay 12.0% more

Transportation

pay 21.2% more

Housing

pay 38.3% more

Childcare

pay 3.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 19.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MAD = 5.02 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.

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 41% more than cities in Morocco.

Morocco

Kenitra 32%
Tetouan 31%

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Morocco to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
3,310 ↓ 22% vs 2022

people moved from Morocco 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 Morocco and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MA
1.7
TR
2.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MA
18.6
TR
6.5

Morocco 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

MA
$606
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

MA
7.3
TR
21.7

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Morocco leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

MA
59.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MA
1.8t
TR
5.4t

Morocco generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

MA
6.4
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MA
50.8%
TR
43.4%

Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Morocco leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MA
9.1%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$8,800
TR
$34,400

Morocco generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MA
73.7 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MA
19.2
TR
19.4

Morocco generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.

Data: Direction Générale des Impôts, Morocco, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rabat Rain: 20.6 in/yr (522 mm)
73° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rabat Ankara
Jan–Mar 65°/47°F (19°/8°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Rabat Ankara
Jan 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.8°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.5°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 70°/52°F (21.2°/10.9°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.3°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.9°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 82°/65°F (27.8°/18.3°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.4°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.8°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 65°/48°F (18.6°/8.8°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Direction de la Météorologie Nationale Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Morocco 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.

Morocco passport

Morocco passport holder visiting Turkey

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

Turkey passport holder visiting Morocco

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

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 Morocco?

Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 36% higher than Morocco 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 MAD701,348 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,195,450 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 Morocco and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Morocco 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 1.7 in Morocco.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Morocco?

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Morocco leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 7.3 in Morocco. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Morocco: 69).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 73°F in Rabat. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Rabat gets 20.6 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Morocco, the official languages are Arabic and Berber.

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At a Glance

MA TR
Population 36,738,229 83,047,706
Currency Moroccan Dirham (MAD) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Arabic, Berber Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +212 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 15 112