Moving to Iowa from Turkey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to Iowa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Turkey to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 85.8% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $140,000 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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 Turkey to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → $140,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 96.1% more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 12.6% less
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 59.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.4% 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 Iowa cost about 26% 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 Iowa, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Turkey to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
57.112,943
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
How Turkey and Iowa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Turkey performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Turkey performs better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iowa performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). 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 | Ankara | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ankara | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Turkey passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Iowa than Turkey?
Day-to-day costs in Iowa run about 86% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around $35,000 in Iowa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Working remotely from Iowa's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Turkey and Iowa.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Turkey?
Turkey performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
