Basic information for living in Turkey

Do you want to live in Turkey but do not know about Turkey? Let us share with you basic information about living in Turkey, such as the economic situation, weather, and health insurance.

In this guide, we provide simple but important information for those who plan to live in Turkey for a long time or seasonally.

I recommend you to read our article on the best cities to live in Turkey.

Let’s start!

How do foreigners get permission to live in Turkey?

If you want to live in Turkey for a long time, you must apply for a residence permit. The easiest ways for this are to find a job or get married. If you do not want to do these things, you can buy or invest in a house worth 400 thousand dollars in Turkey. In this way, you can both get a residence permit and apply for Turkish citizenship if you want.

Many people buy a house in Turkey for 400 thousand dollars. In this way, he both obtains Turkish citizenship and makes an investment. This is one of the option and answer of how to live in Turkey.

If you want to live in Turkey for a short time, you can come with a tourist visa and stay in Turkey for six months. At the end of six months, you have to leave Turkey for 15 days. You can come back later and live in Turkey for another 6 months.

If you are a European citizen, it will be very easy to get a visa. Citizens of many European countries can stay in Turkey for six months with only their identity cards.

Countries that can stay in Turkey for 6 months only with an ID card;

Germany
Belgium
France
Holland
Spain
Switzerland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Portugal
Ukraine
Greece
Poland
Bulgaria
KKTC
Georgia

How do foreigners get permission to live in Turkey?

Why do foreigners want to live in Turkey?

There are two important reasons why foreigners prefer Turkey to live. The first is Turkey’s location and natural beauty, and the second is that Turkey is a cheap country. Let me share with you more basic information about Turkey.

The nature and location of Turkey

Turkey is a peninsula country surrounded by seas on three sides. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. If you want to live in the Mediterranean or Aegean in Turkey, you can enjoy the sea all summer. There are natural wonders such as waterfalls and lakes in almost every city in Turkey. You can spend time here all year round.

Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of historical cities and ruins. It has hosted many civilizations over the centuries. The oldest known temple, Gobeklitepe, is located in Turkey.

Whichever city you go to in Turkey, you will definitely find an ancient city. Even if you come on holiday, I am sure that you will say “I want to live in Turkey” at the end of your time in this beautiful country.

Location; Turkey is the only country that unites the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Due to its location, you can easily reach many parts of the world within 2 hours.

Economic situation – Is it cheap to live in Turkey?

Turkey is a cheap country for foreigners. In 2023, an average of 1 EUR 20.50 TL, 1 USD is equivalent to 19 Turkish liras. 1 Pound is 22 Turkish Liras. The minimum wage in Turkey is only 390 Euros. This is simple economic information about Turkey. But below, you will be able to see our Turkey shopping blog posts as well. You can read some and make a comparison between products and services.

How much money do you need to live in Turkey?

500 Euros is enough to live in Turkey, but you will need between 1500 – 2000 Euros to live a comfortable life. The biggest financial expense is rental fees. Rents are between 400 – 750 Euros in the best Turkish cities. You can have lunch per person for 4 Euros.

Of course, these prices will differ according to the cities. We will go into detail while examining the cities most preferred by foreigners in Turkey.

Is Turkey a good country to live in?

The answer to this question, of course, depends on everyone’s own experience. Many foreigners choose to live in Turkey because it is cheap, its nature is beautiful and it is reliable. In addition, it would be useful to evaluate Turkey not only on the basis of cities, but also on the basis of its neighborhoods. This will give you better answer for “Is Turkey a safe country to live?”

If you wish, let’s give the answer to the question of whether Turkey is a good country to live in, under headings.

Is Turkey a safe country for foreigners?

Turkey may seem insecure from the outside, but Turkey is an extremely safe country. More than 20 million foreign tourists come to Turkey every year, and apart from some unfortunate minor incidents, there is no security problem.

The problems you may experience in Turkey will usually be related to taxis, but if you plan to live in Turkey, this will no longer be a problem for you.

You can find out more in our article: Is it safe to live and travel in Turkey?

How much money do I need to live in Turkey?

The biggest expense in terms of living costs in Turkey is house rents in big cities. House rents in beautiful districts of Istanbul are between 750 – 1500 Euros. In the districts of Antalya close to the sea, the rents are between 500 – 1000 Euros. Of course, you can find a house to rent cheaper and more expensive.

Electricity, water, natural gas, and internet bills average between 50 – 75 Euros per month.

The kitchen cost of a family of 4 in Turkey will cost around 200 Euros. There are many applications where you can do online grocery shopping in Turkey. By following these applications, you can buy discounted products and reduce your spending.

To give an example for shopping for clothes in Turkey, an H&M T-shirt starts at 7.5 Euros. The prices of Adidas brand shoes start from 30 Euros.

You can browse our articles on underwear brands in Turkey, Turkish kids brands and Turkish baby brands, and Turkish maternity wear brands.

If you want to order food from outside Turkey, the average prices of foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and pasta are between 4-5 euros. You can browse to order food online in Turkey.

Of course, these examples and prices should be seen as average. You can find houses and services at much more affordable prices in Turkey. You can still live in a much more luxurious way.

Turkish Money for living Turkey — Turkish Money

Is Turkey a religious country?

We know that many people have this question in mind. The vast majority of Turkey is Muslim, but Turkey is a secular country. Legally, no one can interfere with your belief.

There are churches and synagogues all over Turkey and they are open for worship.

Since Turkey is wanted to be shown authentically in many films, generally closed people are shown, but the majority of Turkish people are open. Especially in cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, and Ankara, you do not need to worry about this. Have peace of mind.

If “Is Turkey good to live in?” If you ask, this cultural and religious diversity would be a good reason in itself.

Is Turkey a hot country?

Turkey is a country that experiences 4 seasons, but it is also a big country in terms of surface area. In other words, there is a big difference in temperature between the west and east of Turkey.

Foreigners generally prefer to live in the western parts of Turkey. The western region is also a tourist area. Let’s take a brief look at the 4 most preferred cities.

What’s the weather like in Istanbul throughout the year?

The air temperature in Istanbul varies between 4 and 32 degrees throughout the year. October – December is usually rainy. In summer, the air temperature is between 25 – 32 degrees. In rare cases, the air temperature rises to 36 degrees. In the spring months, the weather is sunny and the average temperature varies between 15 – 25 degrees.

What’s the weather like in Antalya throughout the year?

Antalya is one of the warmest cities in Turkey. The air temperature in Antalya varies between 12 – 20 degrees in winter and 32 – 42 degrees in summer. Spring months are usually 22 – 26 degrees.

How is the weather in Izmir?

We can say that the air of Izmir is right in the middle of Istanbul and Antalya. The winter months are rainy and the air temperature varies between 8 and 15 degrees. In summer, the average temperature is 28 – 32 degrees.

How is the weather in Ankara?

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey, which is often preferred by foreigners to live. Since it has no coast to the sea, it has a terrestrial climate. Winters can be cold and snowy. The temperature is between -2 and 6 degrees in winter. In summer, the temperature is between 22 – 26 degrees.

Turkey warmest city

Antalya is one of the warmest city of Turkey which hosting many foreign residents and tourists. Muğla province has nice towns such as Fethiye and Bodrum as well. If you are wondering about can foreigners live in Turkey, many foreigners that I’ve met, are really happy to live in these towns.

Does it make sense to stay in a hotel for a long time in Turkey?

If you are only going to stay in Turkey for a while, it would be more logical to stay at a hotel. If you want to rent a house, they will ask you to make a 1-year contract. You must also pay a realtor fee.

If you are going to stay in Turkey for a season or 6 months, it may be beneficial to prefer warm regions such as Antalya, Bodrum, and Kuşadası. You can find more hotels and more activities to do. Those enjoyable locations are some of the best places to live in Turkey.

Check Turkey cheapest hotels from here.

Can foreigners or tourists buy cars in Turkey?

Foreigners in Turkey can only buy cars with license plates of different countries from other foreigners and you can stay in Turkey for only 6 months with the car you bought.

It can be a bit of a problem when you want to sell the car you bought in Turkey and return it to your country. Renting a car instead of buying a car in Turkey is a more logical option. You can take a look at the best prices for renting a car in Turkey.

tourists buy cars in Turkey — Tourists buy cars in Turkey

Health insurance for foreigners in Turkey

There is no obligation to have health insurance for foreigners who will stay in Turkey for a short time, but it will be good financially if you have insurance. You can take a look at the different insurance packages of Aksigorta for tourists and foreigners who want to stay for a long time.

If you want to buy a house in Turkey and apply for citizenship, health insurance is mandatory.

Do you need to know Turkish?

In big cities such as Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, Ankara, and Izmir, you can get everything done in English. You can find people who speak English everywhere. However, knowing a few words in Turkish is good and makes Turks approach you more friendly.

Is Turkey safe to live without knowing Turkish?

Not knowing Turkish does not create a disadvantage for you, especially in touristic cities. However, in more rural areas, this may make your communication difficult. However, learning a few Turkish words often gives you an advantage when dealing with local people. Turks are more sympathetic to foreigners practicing Turkish and are more eager to help.

You can take a look at the Turkish words that tourists need.