Moving to Turkey from Poland

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Poland to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 12.3% cheaper than Poland overall. A PLN284,306 salary in Poland would need to be roughly TRY3,421,697 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 55°F in Warsaw, making it significantly warmer.

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 Poland to Turkey.

What does your salary buy?

PLN284,306 TRY3,421,697

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 38.0% less

Groceries

pay 22.2% less

Transportation

pay 3.2% less

Housing

pay 38.1% less

Childcare

pay 37.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 14.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PLN = 12.44 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 6% more than cities in Poland.

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

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 Poland to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
380 ↓ 26% vs 2022

people moved from Poland 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 Poland 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

PL
0.7
TR
2.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

PL
11%
TR
61%

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PL
$3,939
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PL
33.9
TR
21.7

Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey 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

PL
41.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PL
7.6t
TR
5.4t

Turkey performs significantly better than Poland across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PL
23.0
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PL
32.1%
TR
43.4%

Poland performs better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PL
2.9%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PL
$44,100
TR
$34,400

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PL
78.8 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PL
4.2
TR
19.4

Poland performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Warsaw Ankara
Jan–Mar 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Warsaw Ankara
Jan 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.

Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Turkey

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

Turkey passport holder visiting Poland

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter Poland.

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 Poland?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 3% cheaper than Poland 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 PLN284,306 comparable salary, that's around TRY855,424 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 Poland and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Poland generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Poland. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Poland?

Poland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 33.9 in Poland. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Poland, the official language is Polish.

Share this

At a Glance

PL TR
Population 38,093,101 83,047,706
Currency Polish Zloty (PLN) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Polish Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +48 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112