Moving to Washington from Turkey
What to Expect
Considering a move from Turkey to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Turkey to Washington, you would find that Washington is 2.5 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly $186,000 in Washington 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 ↓Is Washington cheaper than Turkey?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 2.8 times more
Transportation
pay 21.4% more
Housing
pay 4.0 times more
Childcare
pay 2.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 91.9% 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 Washington?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → $186,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
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 Washington cost about 51% more than cities in Turkey.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Washington
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Turkey to Washington.
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.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
57.112,943
Turkey
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Turkey.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Turkey performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Washington performs significantly better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Washington vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Turkey to Washington?
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 holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 Washington than Turkey?
On average Washington is around 150% pricier than Turkey, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $46,500 for 3 months in Washington (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 Washington?
From major Washington cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Turkey and Washington are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Turkey?
Turkey performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Seattle is 60°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Seattle receives around 37.5 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
