Moving to Turkey from Singapore

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Singapore to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 49.8% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,960 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly TRY1,192,514 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ankara averages 64°F vs 89°F in Singapore, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

SGD96,960 TRY1,192,514

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 27.3% less

Groceries

pay 59.6% less

Transportation

pay 50.4% less

Housing

pay 72.2% less

Childcare

pay 61.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 57.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SGD = 36.34 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 Singapore to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
269 ↑ 39% vs 2015

people born in Singapore live in Turkey · UN DESA

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 Singapore 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

SG
0.1
TR
2.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SG
1.9
TR
6.5

Singapore performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SG
$6,551
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SG
26.0
TR
21.7

Singapore 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

SG
23.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SG
9.8t
TR
5.4t

Singapore generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SG
37.7
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SG
83.1%
TR
43.4%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SG
3.5%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SG
$127,500
TR
$34,400

Singapore 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

SG
86.3 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SG
1.6
TR
19.4

Singapore generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in education spending.

Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Singapore Rain: 83.2 in/yr (2113 mm)
89° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Singapore Ankara
Jan–Mar 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Singapore Ankara
Jan 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Meteorological Service Singapore Meteorological Service Singapore, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore 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.

Singapore passport

Singapore passport holder visiting Turkey

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

Turkey passport holder visiting Singapore

Visa Free
Turkey passport holders can enter Singapore 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 Singapore?

Generally yes: Turkey runs about 66% cheaper than Singapore 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 SGD96,960 comparable salary, that's around TRY298,128 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 Singapore and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Singapore performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Singapore?

Singapore 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 26.0 in Singapore. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.

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At a Glance

SG TR
Population 5,921,231 83,047,706
Currency Singapore Dollar (SGD) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Chinese, English, Malay, Tamil Turkish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +65 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 112