Moving to Virginia from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Turkey to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 2.6 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,523,838 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $113,979 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Turkey to Virginia.

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,523,838 $113,979

To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 2.9 times more

Groceries

pay 3.6 times more

Transportation

pay 55.7% more

Housing

pay 3.9 times more

Childcare

pay 3.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.0213 USD (July 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 Virginia cost about 43% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Virginia

Fairfax 75%
Roanoke 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Virginia.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

TR
32.1%
VA
35.3%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

TR
81.0%
VA
90.1%

Virginia performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
9.4%
VA
3.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$34,400
VA
$69,111

Virginia performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TR
76.2 yrs
VA
77.6 yrs

Virginia performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

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

Richmond Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
70° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ankara Richmond
Jan–Mar 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/57°F (29°/14°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Ankara Richmond
Jan 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)
Feb 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)
Mar 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)
May 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)
Jun 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)
Jul 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)
Aug 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)
Sep 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)
Nov 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)
Dec 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C) 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

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 Virginia than Turkey?

No — Virginia is on average about 52% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Virginia?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $28,495 in Virginia on a TRY3,523,838 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Virginia?

Usually fine from major cities in Virginia. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Turkey?

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

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

The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 64°F in Ankara. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Ankara gets 15.0 in.

What language do they speak in Virginia?

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

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At a Glance

TR
Population 83,047,706 8,001,024
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