Moving to Turkey from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Turkey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 26.4% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,766 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly TRY4,806,514 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 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,766 → TRY4,806,514
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.7% less
Groceries
pay 14.2% less
Transportation
pay 12.5% more
Housing
pay 22.1% less
Childcare
pay 2.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.5% 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.
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 42% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Africa to Turkey.
people moved from South Africa to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Turkey compared to South Africa.
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 performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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 South Africa 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
Turkey performs significantly better than South Africa across all environment metrics.
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 performs significantly better than South Africa across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Turkey performs significantly better than South Africa across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: 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 South Africa?
On average Turkey is around 36% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Budget about TRY1,201,628 for 3 months in Turkey (based on a ZAR1,223,766 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
Connectivity is usually fine (Turkey: 22.3 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Turkey offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Turkey performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to South Africa?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Turkey
At a Glance
ZA
|
TR
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 83,047,706 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Turkish Lira (TRY) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Turkish |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +90 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |