Moving to Turkey from Ukraine

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Ukraine to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 57.1% more expensive than Ukraine overall. A UAH3,346,113 salary in Ukraine would need to be roughly TRY5,215,516 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

UAH3,346,113 TRY5,215,516

To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 37.6% more

Groceries

pay 8.5% more

Transportation

pay 67.3% more

Housing

pay 58.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 98.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 UAH = 1.06 TRY (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 Turkey cost about 73% more than cities in Ukraine.

Ukraine

Kiev 36%
Vinnytsya 30%

Turkey

Istanbul 49%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
8,499 ↓ 74% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Turkey?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

UA
3.8
TR
2.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UA
10.5
TR
6.5

Turkey performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UA
$1,382
TR
$1,769
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

UA
29.9
TR
21.7

Ukraine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in suicide rate.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

UA
66.0
TR
39.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UA
3.1t
TR
5.4t

Ukraine generally does better on environment, though Turkey leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UA
18.3
TR
22.3
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UA
12.3%
TR
43.4%

Ukraine generally does better on infrastructure, though Turkey leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

UA
9.8%
TR
9.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

UA
$16,200
TR
$34,400

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

UA
73.5 yrs
TR
76.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UA
7.3
TR
19.4

Ukraine generally does better on family life, though Turkey leads in life expectancy.

Data: Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kiev Rain: 23.8 in/yr (605 mm)
56° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kiev Ankara
Jan–Mar 36°/25°F (2°/-4°C) 45°/28°F (7°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/51°F (20°/10°C) 72°/48°F (22°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/58°F (24°/14°C) 83°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/33°F (6°/1°C) 55°/37°F (13°/3°C)
View all months
Month Kiev Ankara
Jan 31°/22°F (-0.7°/-5.5°C) 39°/26°F (4.1°/-3.5°C)
Feb 33°/23°F (0.8°/-5.0°C) 43°/27°F (5.9°/-2.8°C)
Mar 44°/31°F (6.5°/-0.8°C) 52°/32°F (11.1°/0.2°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.7°C) 63°/41°F (17.3°/5.1°C)
May 70°/52°F (21.1°/10.9°C) 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)
Jun 76°/59°F (24.6°/14.8°C) 80°/55°F (26.4°/12.6°C)
Jul 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.6°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.4°C)
Aug 79°/60°F (25.9°/15.7°C) 86°/60°F (30.0°/15.4°C)
Sep 68°/51°F (20.0°/10.6°C) 78°/52°F (25.8°/11.3°C)
Oct 55°/41°F (12.9°/5.1°C) 68°/44°F (20.0°/6.8°C)
Nov 42°/33°F (5.3°/0.3°C) 55°/36°F (12.9°/2.4°C)
Dec 33°/26°F (0.5°/-3.5°C) 43°/30°F (6.3°/-0.9°C)

Data: Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Ukraine passport

Ukraine passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Ukraine passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.
Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Ukraine

Visa Free
Turkey passport holders can enter Ukraine 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 Turkey than Ukraine?

Day-to-day costs in Turkey run about 48% higher than Ukraine on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Turkey?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a UAH3,346,113 comparable salary, that's around TRY1,303,879 in Turkey for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Turkey?

With 22.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Turkey can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Ukraine and Turkey.

Is Turkey safe for expats?

Turkey performs significantly better than Ukraine across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Turkey is 2.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.8 in Ukraine.

How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Ukraine?

Ukraine generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in suicide rate. There are 21.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Turkey, compared to 29.9 in Ukraine. Turkey scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Ukraine: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Ankara is 64°F, compared to 56°F in Kiev. Ankara receives around 15.0 in of rainfall per year, while Kiev gets 23.8 in.

What language do they speak in Turkey?

The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Ukraine, the official language is Ukrainian.

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At a Glance

UA TR
Population 43,528,136 83,047,706
Currency Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH) Turkish Lira (TRY)
Languages Ukrainian Turkish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +380 +90
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112