Moving to Turkey from Syria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Syria to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Syria to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 64.7% more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly TRY6,110,000 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 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly cooler.
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 Syria to Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → TRY6,110,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 23.2% more
Groceries
pay 5.2% more
Transportation
pay 62.0% more
Housing
pay 94.6% more
Childcare
pay 9.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 76.9% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Syria to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Syria and Turkey stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Syria generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Syria 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
Syria generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Syria 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Syria 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Turkey generally does better on family life, though Syria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (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 | Damascus | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria 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.
Syria passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Required
Turkey passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-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 Syria?
Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 65% higher than Syria on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 SYP980,000,000 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,527,500 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 Syria and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Syria generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Turkey is 3.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Syria?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
