Moving to Turkey from Thailand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Thailand to Turkey — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Thailand to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 14.6% more expensive than Thailand overall. A THB2,497,395 salary in Thailand would need to be roughly TRY4,204,173 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 91°F in Bangkok, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Thailand to Turkey.
What does your salary buy?
THB2,497,395 → TRY4,204,173
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 66.3% more
Groceries
pay 23.0% less
Transportation
pay 6.8% more
Housing
pay 1.6% more
Childcare
pay 18.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.8% 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 35% more than cities in Thailand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Thailand to Turkey, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Thailand 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
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Thailand leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
Thailand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Thailand 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
Thailand generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Thailand generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in gdp per capita.
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
Thailand generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in education spending.
Data: The Revenue Department, Government of Thailand, 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 | Bangkok | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bangkok | Ankara |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) |
| Mar | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) |
| Apr | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) |
| May | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) |
Data:
Thai Meteorological Department,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Thailand 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.
Thailand passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting Thailand
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 Thailand?
Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 19% higher than Thailand 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 THB2,497,395 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,051,043 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 Thailand and Turkey.
Is Turkey safe for expats?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Thailand leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.8 in Thailand. About 61% of people in Turkey feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Thailand?
Thailand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 9.3 in Thailand. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Thailand: 82).
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Thailand?
The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 91°F in Bangkok. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Bangkok gets 59.0 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Thailand, the official language is Thai.
