Moving to Turkey from Pennsylvania

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Pennsylvania to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 54.5% cheaper than Pennsylvania. A $75,000 salary in Pennsylvania would need to be roughly TRY1,680,000 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 ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 → TRY1,680,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 49.7% less

Groceries

pay 62.4% less

Transportation

pay 9.7% less

Housing

pay 68.8% less

Childcare

pay 62.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 42.1% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 49.22 TRY (October 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 23% less than cities in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania

Lancaster 65%
Bethlehem 62%
Allentown 60%

Turkey

Fethiye 59%
Istanbul 53%
Antalya 43%
Izmir 42%

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 Pennsylvania to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,728 ↓ 44% vs 2022

people moved from United States 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 Pennsylvania and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2024

share of adults with obesity

PA
34.4%
TR
28.8%

Turkey performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2025

share of households with internet

PA
88.8%
TR
89.8%

Turkey performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PA
3.7%
TR
8.5%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

PA
$61,506
TR
$18,599

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2024

average years of life at birth

PA
76.8 yrs
TR
77.4 yrs

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harrisburg Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harrisburg Ankara
Jan–Mar 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Harrisburg Ankara
Jan 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter United States.

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 Pennsylvania?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 55% cheaper than Pennsylvania on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY420,000 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Turkey?

Working remotely from Turkey's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Pennsylvania and Turkey.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Pennsylvania?

Turkey performs significantly better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 61°F in Harrisburg. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Harrisburg gets 43.6 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

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

Share this

At a Glance

TR
Population 13,059,432 85,878,556
Currency United States Dollar ($) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages English Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +90
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112