Moving to Puerto Rico from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Turkey to Puerto Rico, you would find that Puerto Rico is 83.0% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $137,000 in Puerto Rico to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Spanish.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Puerto Rico cheaper than Turkey?

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

Restaurants

pay 67.3% more

Groceries

pay 2.9 times more

Transportation

pay 1.6% less

Housing

pay 2.5 times more

Childcare

pay 4.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.5% 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 Puerto Rico?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → $137,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Puerto Rico

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to Puerto Rico

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
8 ↓ 62% vs 2015

people born in Turkey live in Puerto Rico · UN DESA

Who's moving to Puerto Rico?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Puerto Rico.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
PR
14.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TR
6.5
PR
12.5

Turkey performs better than Puerto Rico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

TR
28.8%
PR
42.4%
Suicide rate World Bank, 2021

per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support

TR
2.7
PR
5.4

Turkey performs better than Puerto Rico across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about the environment?

CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
PR
4.8t

Puerto Rico performs significantly better than Turkey across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
23.4
PR
28.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
PR
19.5%

Puerto Rico generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
PR
6.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
PR
$40,620

Puerto Rico 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
PR
81.9 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
PR
6.0

Puerto Rico generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in literacy rate.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Puerto Rican Department of Treasury (2016). How we calculate this

Can you move from Turkey to Puerto Rico?

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

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Puerto Rico

Visa Required
Turkey passport holders need a visa to enter Puerto Rico.

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 Puerto Rico than Turkey?

No — Puerto Rico is on average about 83% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Puerto Rico?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $34,250 in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Puerto Rico has 28.0 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 Puerto Rico safe for expats?

Turkey performs better than Puerto Rico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Puerto Rico is 14.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.

How is healthcare in Puerto Rico compared to Turkey?

Turkey performs better than Puerto Rico across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What language do they speak in Puerto Rico?

The official languages in Puerto Rico are English and Spanish. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR PR
Population 85,878,556 3,184,835
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Turkish English, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +1
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 —