Moving to Belgium from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Turkey to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 95.8% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly €131,000 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch, French and German.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → €131,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.4 times more

Groceries

pay 2.2 times more

Transportation

pay 34.4% more

Housing

pay 2.4 times more

Childcare

pay 60.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 53.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0181 EUR (October 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.

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 Belgium cost about 22% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

Fethiye 59%
Istanbul 53%
Antalya 43%
Izmir 42%

Belgium

Brugge 56%
Hasselt 55%
Mons 53%
Charleroi 52%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Turkey to Belgium, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
6,119 ↑ 31% vs 2022

people moved from Turkey to Belgium · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Belgium?

Top countries of origin for Belgium's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Turkey and Belgium stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
BE
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

TR
61%
BE
62%

Belgium performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
BE
$7,489
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
BE
35.7

Belgium 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

TR
39.0
BE
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
BE
7.3t

Turkey generally does better on environment, though Belgium leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
23.4
BE
44.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
BE
52.8%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
BE
5.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
BE
$60,750

Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Turkey leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
BE
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
BE
3.1

Belgium performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Brussels Rain: 32.3 in/yr (820 mm)
57° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara Brussels
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 63°/47°F (17°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 70°/54°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Ankara Brussels
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and Belgium. To live, work, or study long-term in Belgium, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belgium's immigration authority.

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Belgium

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter Belgium.
Belgium passport

Belgium passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Belgium passport holders can enter Turkey 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 Belgium than Turkey?

Day-to-day costs in Belgium run about 96% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Belgium?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around €32,750 in Belgium for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Belgium?

With 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Turkey and Belgium.

Is Belgium safe for expats?

Belgium performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 62% of people in Belgium feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Turkey?

Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in Belgium?

The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR BE
Population 85,878,556 11,941,781
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Euro (€)
Languages Turkish Dutch, French, German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +32
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112