Moving to Turkey from Nigeria

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Nigeria to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 2.2 times more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN103,430,048 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly TRY4,671,622 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 91°F in Abuja, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

NGN103,430,048 TRY4,671,622

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.1 times more

Groceries

pay 21.6% less

Transportation

pay 34.8% more

Housing

pay 7.6% less

Childcare

pay 6.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 72.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NGN = 0.0341 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 Nigeria to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,100 ↓ 41% vs 2022

people moved from Nigeria 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 Nigeria 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

NG
21.7
TR
2.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

NG
79%
TR
61%

Turkey generally does better on safety, though Nigeria leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NG
$260
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NG
3.9
TR
21.7

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria 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

NG
77.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NG
0.6t
TR
5.4t

Nigeria 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

NG
0.0
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NG
9.7%
TR
43.4%

Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NG
3.1%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NG
$5,700
TR
$34,400

Nigeria 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

NG
61.3 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NG
56.7
TR
19.4

Turkey performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.

Data: Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Abuja Rain: 48.1 in/yr (1221 mm)
91° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abuja Ankara
Jan–Mar 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Abuja Ankara
Jan 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Nigerian Meteorological Agency Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.

Nigeria passport

Nigeria passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Nigeria passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Turkey.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Nigeria

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Nigeria.

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 Nigeria?

Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 33% higher than Nigeria 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 NGN103,430,048 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,167,906 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 Nigeria and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Turkey generally does better on safety, though Nigeria leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 21.7 in Nigeria. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Nigeria?

Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 3.9 in Nigeria. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

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

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At a Glance

NG TR
Population 225,082,083 83,047,706
Currency Nigerian Naira (NGN) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages English Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +234 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112