Moving to Canada from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Turkey to Canada, you would find that Canada is 2.0 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,535,688 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly CA$141,303 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 64°F in Ankara, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,535,688 CA$141,303

To maintain the same standard of living in Canada

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.3 times more

Groceries

pay 2.7 times more

Transportation

pay 47.1% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 28.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0298 CAD (July 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 Canada cost about 17% more than cities in Turkey.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
2,070 ↓ 14% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Canada?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

TR
2.7
CA
2.3
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

TR
61%
CA
88%

Canada performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
CA
$7,646
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

TR
21.7
CA
25.0

Canada 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
CA
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
CA
14.0t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
22.3
CA
42.6
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
43.4%
CA
3.7%

Canada performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
9.4%
CA
5.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$34,400
CA
$55,800

Canada performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TR
76.2 yrs
CA
83.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
19.4
CA
4.4

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

Data: Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

Ottawa Rain: 37.1 in/yr (943 mm)
52° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara Ottawa
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 64°/45°F (18°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 75°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
View all months
Month Ankara Ottawa
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Meteorological Service of Canada Meteorological Service of Canada

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Canada

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

Canada passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Canada 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 Canada than Turkey?

Day-to-day costs in Canada run about 34% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Canada?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,535,688 comparable salary, that's around CA$35,326 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Canada?

With 42.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 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 Canada.

Is Canada safe for expats?

Canada performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.7 in Turkey. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Canada compared to Turkey?

Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 21.7 in Turkey. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in Canada?

The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR CA
Population 83,047,706 38,232,593
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Canadian Dollar (CA$)
Languages Turkish English, French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +1
Time zones 1 6
Emergency number 112 911