Moving to Texas from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Turkey to Texas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Turkey to Texas, you would find that Texas is 2.1 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $154,000 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Houston averages 80°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 Texas cheaper than Turkey?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.0 times more

Groceries

pay 2.4 times more

Transportation

pay 5.3% more

Housing

pay 3.0 times more

Childcare

pay 87.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 62.8% 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 Texas?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → $154,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Texas

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 Texas cost about 32% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

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

Texas

Dallas 66%
McKinney 62%
Plano 61%
Frisco 61%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Texas

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Turkey to Texas.

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

The numbers behind daily life in Texas compared to Turkey.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

TR
28.8%
TX
36.8%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2025

share of households with internet

TR
89.8%
TX
90.1%

Texas 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%
TX
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
TX
$70,071

Texas 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
TX
76.5 yrs

Turkey performs better than Texas across all family life metrics.

Weather in Texas vs Turkey

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Houston Rain: 49.8 in/yr (1264 mm)
80° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Istanbul Houston
Jan–Mar 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) 67°/48°F (20°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) 86°/67°F (30°/19°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 93°/73°F (34°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) 73°/53°F (23°/11°C)
View all months
Month Istanbul Houston
Jan 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.2°C)
Feb 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) 66°/47°F (19.1°/8.1°C)
Mar 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.4°C)
Apr 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) 80°/59°F (26.4°/15.2°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) 86°/68°F (30.2°/19.8°C)
Jun 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) 91°/73°F (33.0°/22.9°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) 94°/75°F (34.3°/23.9°C)
Aug 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) 94°/75°F (34.7°/23.8°C)
Sep 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) 90°/70°F (32.1°/21.0°C)
Oct 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.1°C)
Nov 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) 72°/52°F (22.5°/11.2°C)
Dec 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) 64°/45°F (17.9°/7.0°C)

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

Can you move from Turkey to Texas?

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 Texas than Turkey?

On average Texas is around 105% pricier than Turkey, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Texas?

Budget about $38,500 for 3 months in Texas (based on a TRY3,700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Texas?

From major Texas cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Turkey and Texas are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Texas compared to Turkey?

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

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

The average high temperature in Houston is 80°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Houston receives around 49.8 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Texas?

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

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At a Glance

TR
Population 85,878,556 31,709,821
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