Moving to Qatar from Turkey
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to Qatar — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Turkey to Qatar, you would find that Qatar is 44.4% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly QAR395,000 in Qatar to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Doha averages 91°F vs 65°F in Istanbul, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Qatar cheaper than Turkey?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 18.0% less
Groceries
pay 39.7% more
Transportation
pay 35.6% less
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 11.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.3 times 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 Qatar?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → QAR395,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Qatar
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Qatar
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Turkey to Qatar, based on official data.
Who's moving to Qatar?
Top countries of origin for Qatar's foreign-born residents.
- 702,013
- 261,672
- 253,940
- 235,505
- 183,544
- 170,052
- · · ·
-
18.5,137
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Qatar.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Qatar 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 Qatar 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 performs better than Qatar across all environment metrics.
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
Turkey generally does better on infrastructure, though Qatar leads in electricity per capita.
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
Qatar 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Qatar generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Public Revenues and Tax Department, Qatar (2016), The World Factbook (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Qatar vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Doha |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 99°/76°F (37°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 104°/83°F (40°/28°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Doha |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/12.8°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.7°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 89°/69°F (31.9°/20.6°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 101°/77°F (38.2°/25.0°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 106°/82°F (41.2°/27.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/29.1°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 105°/84°F (40.7°/28.9°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 101°/80°F (38.6°/26.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 95°/74°F (35.2°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.5°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 75°/59°F (24.1°/15.0°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
Qatar Meteorology Department
Can you move from Turkey to Qatar?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and Qatar. To live, work, or study long-term in Qatar, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Qatar's immigration authority.
Turkey passport holder visiting Qatar
Visa on Arrival
Qatar 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 Qatar than Turkey?
No — Qatar is on average about 44% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Qatar?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly QAR98,750 in Qatar 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 Qatar?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Qatar has 11.8 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 Qatar safe for expats?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Qatar leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Qatar is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Qatar compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Qatar leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 30.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Qatar, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Qatar scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Qatar compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Doha is 91°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Doha receives around 3.0 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Qatar?
The official language in Qatar is Arabic. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
