Moving to Turkey from Nigeria
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 46.5% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN100,000,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly TRY5,450,000 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Istanbul averages 65°F vs 87°F in Lagos, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Turkey cheaper than Nigeria?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 16.4% less
Transportation
pay 90.5% more
Housing
pay 16.3% more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.1 times 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?
NGN100,000,000 → TRY5,450,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Turkey
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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.
people moved from Nigeria to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Nigeria and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Nigeria leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 Nigeria 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
Nigeria 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
Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria 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
Nigeria 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 performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs Nigeria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lagos | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/71°F (28°/22°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/72°F (31°/22°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lagos | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.2°/22.3°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 92°/74°F (33.1°/23.5°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 91°/75°F (32.7°/23.8°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.6°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 88°/74°F (30.9°/23.1°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 85°/73°F (29.2°/22.6°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 83°/72°F (28.1°/22.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 83°/71°F (28.1°/21.7°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.9°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.3°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 88°/73°F (31.0°/22.6°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 89°/72°F (31.9°/22.4°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from Nigeria to Turkey?
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 holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holder visiting Nigeria
Visa Online (e-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 Nigeria?
Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 46% 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 NGN100,000,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,362,500 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 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 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 15.8 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 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 3.8 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 Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 87°F in Lagos. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lagos gets 60.6 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Nigeria, the official language is English.
