Moving to Massachusetts from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Turkey to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 2.6 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $197,000 in Massachusetts 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 ↓

Is Massachusetts cheaper than Turkey?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.3 times more

Groceries

pay 2.9 times more

Transportation

pay 12.4% more

Housing

pay 4.8 times more

Childcare

pay 2.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 89.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0202 USD (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.

What salary do you need in Massachusetts?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → $197,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts

Calculate with your salary →

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 Massachusetts cost about 71% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

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

Massachusetts

Cambridge 85%
Amherst 66%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Massachusetts

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
7,580 ↑ 8% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

TR
28.8%
MA
28.8%

Turkey performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2025

share of households with internet

TR
89.8%
MA
91.9%

Massachusetts 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%
MA
4.7%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
MA
$87,892

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
MA
79.0 yrs

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

Weather in Massachusetts vs Turkey

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Istanbul Rain: 26.7 in/yr (678 mm)
65° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Boston Rain: 43.8 in/yr (1112 mm)
59° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Istanbul Boston
Jan–Mar 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) 66°/50°F (19°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 78°/62°F (25°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) 51°/38°F (11°/3°C)
View all months
Month Istanbul Boston
Jan 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C)
Feb 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C)
Mar 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C)
Apr 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C)
Jun 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C)
Aug 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C)
Sep 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C)
Oct 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C)
Nov 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C)
Dec 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Turkey to Massachusetts?

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

Turkey passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
United States 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 Massachusetts than Turkey?

Day-to-day costs in Massachusetts run about 164% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around $49,250 in Massachusetts for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Massachusetts?

Working remotely from Massachusetts's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Turkey and Massachusetts.

How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to Turkey?

Turkey performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Massachusetts?

The official language in Massachusetts is English. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR
Population 85,878,556 7,154,084
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Turkish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911