Moving to South Africa from Turkey
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Turkey to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 7.1% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly ZAR1,320,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. 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 South Africa cheaper than Turkey?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.3% more
Groceries
pay 38.2% more
Transportation
pay 11.1% more
Housing
pay 14.7% more
Childcare
pay 65.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.6% less
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 South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → ZAR1,320,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
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 South Africa cost about 12% less 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 South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
65.1,359
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
How Turkey and South Africa stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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 South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Turkey performs better than South Africa 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 performs better than South Africa 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
share of people below the poverty line
Turkey performs better than South Africa 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
Turkey generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Turkey to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Turkey passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Online (e-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 South Africa than Turkey?
Day-to-day costs in South Africa run about 7% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around ZAR330,000 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Turkey and South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Turkey performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 37% of people in South Africa feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
Compare further: Turkey vs. South Africa
At a Glance
TR
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,878,556 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Turkish Lira (TRY) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Turkish | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +90 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 10111 |