Moving to New Zealand from Turkey
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to New Zealand — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Turkey to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 74.8% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly NZ$231,000 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New Zealand cheaper than Turkey?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 58.0% more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 23.7% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 21.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 51.2% 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.
What salary do you need in New Zealand?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → NZ$231,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
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 New Zealand cost about 8% more than cities in Turkey.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New Zealand
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.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Turkey to New Zealand, based on official data.
people moved from Turkey to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to New Zealand.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Turkey generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
New Zealand performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
New Zealand performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in New Zealand vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Can you move from Turkey to New Zealand?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Turkey passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa Required
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Turkey?
No — New Zealand is on average about 75% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NZ$57,750 in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?
Internet is rarely the blocker — New Zealand has 38.0 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 New Zealand safe for expats?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Auckland is 66°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Auckland receives around 43.3 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
