Moving to Finland from Turkey

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to Finland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Turkey to Finland, you would find that Finland is 70.8% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly €115,000 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helsinki averages 48°F vs 64°F in Ankara, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Turkey to Finland.

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → €115,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 98.9% more

Groceries

pay 94.7% more

Transportation

pay 47.7% more

Housing

pay 83.8% more

Childcare

pay 25.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 92.2% 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 Finland cost about 17% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

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

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Turkey to Finland, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
940 ↑ 1% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Finland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Finland.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
FI
1.0
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

TR
61%
FI
86%

Finland 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
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
FI
36.1

Finland 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
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
FI
5.5t

Turkey generally does better on environment, though Finland 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
FI
36.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
FI
7.1%

Finland performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
FI
9.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
FI
$56,149

Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

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

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
FI
1.9

Finland 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), Finnish Tax Administration (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

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara Helsinki
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Ankara Helsinki
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Finland

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

Finland passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Finland 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 Finland than Turkey?

No — Finland is on average about 71% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €28,750 in Finland on a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Finland?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Finland has 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Finland safe for expats?

Finland performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Turkey?

Finland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR FI
Population 85,878,556 5,646,436
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Euro (€)
Languages Turkish Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112