Moving to Turkey from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 67.7% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly TRY1,190,000 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 Bern, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → TRY1,190,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 71.8% less
Groceries
pay 67.3% less
Transportation
pay 47.8% less
Housing
pay 75.6% less
Childcare
pay 69.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.8% less
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 49% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs better than Turkey 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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey 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
Switzerland performs better than Turkey 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
Switzerland performs better than Turkey 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
Switzerland generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in top income tax rate.
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
Switzerland performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa RequiredData: 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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Turkey runs about 68% cheaper than Switzerland 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 CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY297,500 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 Switzerland and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Switzerland performs better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
