Moving to Turkey from Washington
What to Expect
Considering a move from Washington to Turkey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Washington to Turkey, you would find that Turkey is 59.9% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly TRY1,490,000 in Turkey to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Turkish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Turkey cheaper than Washington?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 57.1% less
Groceries
pay 64.1% less
Transportation
pay 17.6% less
Housing
pay 75.2% less
Childcare
pay 60.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.9% less
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 Turkey?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → TRY1,490,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Turkey
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 Turkey cost about 34% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Turkey
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Washington to Turkey.
people moved from United States to Turkey · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Turkey compared to Washington.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Turkey performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington performs 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 better than Turkey across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington performs better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Turkey vs Washington
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seattle | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seattle | Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) |
| May | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) |
| Jun | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) |
| Jul | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) |
| Aug | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) |
| Sep | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) |
| Oct | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Can you move from Washington to Turkey?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Turkey
Visa Free
Turkey passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: 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 Washington?
On average Turkey is about 60% less expensive than Washington, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Turkey?
Budget about TRY372,500 for 3 months in Turkey (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Turkey?
From major Turkey cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Washington and Turkey are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Turkey compared to Washington?
Turkey performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Turkey compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Istanbul is 65°F, compared to 60°F in Seattle. Istanbul receives around 26.7 in of rainfall per year, while Seattle gets 37.5 in.
What language do they speak in Turkey?
The official language in Turkey is Turkish. In Washington, the official language is English.
