Moving to United Kingdom from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Turkey to United Kingdom — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Turkey to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 2.2 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly £124,000 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Turkey to United Kingdom.

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → £124,000

To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.1 times more

Groceries

pay 92.5% more

Transportation

pay 62.2% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 91.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0153 GBP (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.

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 United Kingdom cost about 53% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

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

United Kingdom

Surrey 79%
Harrow 74%
Ealing 72%
Wigan 68%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Turkey to United Kingdom, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2019
6,000

people moved from Turkey to United Kingdom · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United Kingdom?

Top countries of origin for United Kingdom's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Turkey and United Kingdom stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
GB
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TR
6.5
GB
2.4

United Kingdom performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
GB
$6,606
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
GB
33.0

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TR
39.0
GB
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
GB
4.2t

United Kingdom 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
GB
42.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
GB
14.3%

United Kingdom 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%
GB
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
GB
$57,602

Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though United Kingdom leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
GB
81.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
GB
4.1

United Kingdom performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), HM Revenue & Customs (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ankara Rain: 15.0 in/yr (382 mm)
64° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

London Rain: 22.0 in/yr (558 mm)
60° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara London
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 49°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 64°/48°F (18°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 72°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 53°/43°F (12°/6°C)
View all months
Month Ankara London
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Met Office Met Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting United Kingdom

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Turkey passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to United Kingdom.
United Kingdom passport

United Kingdom passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom than Turkey?

Day-to-day costs in United Kingdom run about 119% higher than Turkey on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary, that's around £31,000 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?

With 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom.

Is United Kingdom safe for expats?

United Kingdom performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.

How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Turkey?

United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to Turkey?

The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in United Kingdom?

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

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At a Glance

TR GB
Population 85,878,556 69,487,000
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) British Pound Sterling (£)
Languages Turkish English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +90 +44
Time zones 1 9
Emergency number 112 999