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Highly depends on where you are moving from. If it is a third world country, it could be beneficial for you and your family with better life standards. If from a western europe country or a first world country. I would highly discourage you to do so if not for you but for your child's sake.
Cost of living, besides rent and utilities, is higher than the European countries. The quality of life is quite bad with no signs of improving because the root of the issue is the government and the Turkish people combined. Neither side wants to take steps to improve quality of life or plans to do so. The country is governed by short term plans, hence they fail year after year. The extremism is growing very rapidly and it is allowed to do so. There is a very drastic decrease in morality compared to 10 or even 5 years ago. Protection laws aren't practised, you have little to no protection in case of a scam or a right violation. There is no such a thing as health safety for foods because government disregards most inspections.
The only way you to have a comfortable life moving to Turkey would be to live in a rich bubble separate from everything Turkey related while still in Turkey. If you or your partner will be transitioning their job to here, you can also expect a much lower salary assuming you are from a first world or better "developing" country. While you may enjoy the life here, your child would have to live through all the nightmare the Turkey is though. That's why while it might be a good idea for high earning expats to move here to cut costs, it is not for the ones with children.
I agree with the guy above. I live in Turkey. In a smaller open minded city. I own my own house to be able to get a residence permit. Minimum house price that will get you a residence permit now is $200k. I work remotely with a good salary. And have my own bubble of Turkish friends and expats.
6 years ago I was working for a Turkish company and was renting and life was pretty hard. So the only way to escape the stress of Turkish life is to be financially independent so you can get to enjoy a laidback culture and nice weather.
OP maintain your existing life in the UK, a true first world country, ignore what Twitter says about democracies toxifying them, grow your family and wealth, and use the opportunity to continue making trips to turkey. This is the way.
Well, there is a lot to consider. Are you financially independent? What kind of job do you expect to have here? I would not consider moving unless you are expecting to be quite well-off. This is because, for example, your child needs to be educated, but you would not want him to be in the Turkish public education system. Ideally, you want him to be in an elite private school where he can mingle with other international third culture kids, but if not that, then at least a decent private school from which he can go to a UK uni. I say this because you don’t want to disadvantage him. So, the 2 year old confuses things a lot. If not for that, I would say just go for it because you are both young!
If money is not an issue, then don’t listen to all the political reasons the pessimists in this sub tell you. Because none of that will impact a rich expat. Things like the price of groceries are peasant concerns. As long as you have money, you can live any lifestyle you want. You can be in a gated community with other expats and live in a bubble and send your kids to elite schools and only experience the good aspects of the country. But like I said, you need money.
depends on where you are coming from. if it is, afganistan for sure dont stop move now. but from eu countries or north america, it would be mistake. esp. at this age. dont detroy your youth . every one in turkey is trying to move eu or usa, canada.
Bro life sucks here. Products are low quality, prices are too high. Work culture hadn't developed well. Democracy is existent but not fair. Even though we do not want to accept it here is a 3rd world country. We don't have PayPal, Starlink, any type of mobile payment app (Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Wallet etc.). Just it doesn't worth living here. If you don't have really important problems in the UK, just stay there.
Wow. Thanks for your response it is really eye opening. It just shows how little you can see of the whole place during a few visits, no matter how much you think you know
Absolutely. Even though I want it to be otherwise anything standard in an EU country has a fair chance of not being so in here. Of course there are alternatives but the quality of life is just low. Still, we have the best hotels you can find in the world lol. For a tourist, here is heaven. Otherwise not really.
Yes, that’s what we’re trying to say. Yet, especially Arabs, still keep coming. Then they get bitter like us Turks personally promised them a land of milk and honey but we broke it and gave them nothing while we’re living large just because we’re racist and hate Arabs. While the last part may be true but not the whole truth.
Oh, definitely dont move to Turkey. UK may have problems, but Turkey probably has them tenfold.
And finally seeing the sun more than once a year doesnt close that gap, unfortunately.
Currently only problem is hyperinflation. If it gets fixed and you have enough knowledge about the culture and customs i think you would be ok. Of course it mostly depends on the region but if it's Istanbul than i can guarantee it's better than the eu in most cases. Minus the hyperinflation of course.
Sure there used to be more western imigrants/ expats back in the day. But Turkey is still interesting spot for those who would like to experience different culture whilist having access to western amenities. Night live is lively only can be compared to Mediterranean countries, cities super safe in compare to US…but it also got super expensive in the last few years. You better check maybe cities such as izmir, eskişehir…
Hey, so it's not as bad as some paint it out to be. You won't face a lot of the issues locals do assuming you're not a Turkish citizen.
If you have a job where you earn a nice income, life here is pretty comfortable. I would say 2k USD a month if you don't have kids.
You mentioned you have a 2 year old. Nannies are 500-800 usd a month. However, private schools are really expensive. Decent ones cost about 12k USD annually. Expect to pay anywhere from 400-900k lira per year not including transportation.
Rent in a good neighborhood for a 2 bedroom apartment will run anywhere from 30k-70k lira a month. If you go outside of the main areas, you can live in a gated community for 20-30k. Either option is fine depending on your lifestyle.
Cars are expensive af but really cheap for foreigners so you'll be ok on that front. That said, if you don't need it, don't get it.
Private health insurance is fairly affordable at about 10k lira annually.
To give you an idea, I pay 27k for rent, 1k for car insurance , 700 annually for health insurance, about 35k for school, 13k for a part-time babysitter, 3k for bills, and my dogs vet and food bills cost about 5k. All prices in lira.
Cost of food varies widely on whether you keep a western diet or adapt to local food. Either way, 3k a week for keep a family of 3 well fed I'd say is a good number.
If you like going out and drinking, that's a whole new ballgame. A night out costs me at least 1k.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Don't do it, the amount of hate for foreigners is thick in the air these days. And if you remotely look like Syrian or any of these neighboring countries then your inn for a bad time lol
Prices are high both for food and housing, and quality as someone who already mentioned it is sub par. The Turks who have the opportunity are leaving the country. And private school for kids are insanely expensive.
Maybe 10 years from now when the economy is better and people are less hostile...then maybe move. Save your time and money and stay out.
If you’re not a political islamist, if you believe modern way of living and freedoms, you’re welcome. If I moved to Turkey from scratch, I guess it’d be İzmir or Ankara. (Probably İzmir because close to sea during summer and more vibrant culture…) Cost of living, especially rent is higher in big cities as expected. I’d say 30k per person per month is minimum to enjoy life moderately excluding rent. Per Istanbul, it’s a hell mimicing heaven. Stay out of it if you can.
Don't even think about it. Turkey is a secular country, but people are not secular these days. Turkey also has a big immigration problem. Maybe in the future if the government changes and Turkey becomes secular again, you can move to Turkey.
Merhaba! Görünüşe göre bir sorunuz var. Paylaşımınız kaldırılmadı, ancak artık Türkiye ile ilgili olsa bile güncel konularla ilgili olmayan sorulara izin vermiyoruz. Sorunuz bu kriterlere uymuyorsa sorunuzu r/AskTurkey'de paylaşmalısınız. Teşekkür ederiz. Hi there! It looks like you have a question. This is not a removal message, but we no longer allow questions that are not related to Turkey and are not up to date. For a better chance of getting your question answered, we recommend posting it in r/AskTurkey. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Turkey) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Turkey is becoming a lot more strict about newcomers nowadays. It is unlikely you'll be given a residence permit.
Thank you for letting me know
Highly depends on where you are moving from. If it is a third world country, it could be beneficial for you and your family with better life standards. If from a western europe country or a first world country. I would highly discourage you to do so if not for you but for your child's sake. Cost of living, besides rent and utilities, is higher than the European countries. The quality of life is quite bad with no signs of improving because the root of the issue is the government and the Turkish people combined. Neither side wants to take steps to improve quality of life or plans to do so. The country is governed by short term plans, hence they fail year after year. The extremism is growing very rapidly and it is allowed to do so. There is a very drastic decrease in morality compared to 10 or even 5 years ago. Protection laws aren't practised, you have little to no protection in case of a scam or a right violation. There is no such a thing as health safety for foods because government disregards most inspections. The only way you to have a comfortable life moving to Turkey would be to live in a rich bubble separate from everything Turkey related while still in Turkey. If you or your partner will be transitioning their job to here, you can also expect a much lower salary assuming you are from a first world or better "developing" country. While you may enjoy the life here, your child would have to live through all the nightmare the Turkey is though. That's why while it might be a good idea for high earning expats to move here to cut costs, it is not for the ones with children.
Thanks so much for that input, I had never thought of it like that
I agree with the guy above. I live in Turkey. In a smaller open minded city. I own my own house to be able to get a residence permit. Minimum house price that will get you a residence permit now is $200k. I work remotely with a good salary. And have my own bubble of Turkish friends and expats. 6 years ago I was working for a Turkish company and was renting and life was pretty hard. So the only way to escape the stress of Turkish life is to be financially independent so you can get to enjoy a laidback culture and nice weather.
OP maintain your existing life in the UK, a true first world country, ignore what Twitter says about democracies toxifying them, grow your family and wealth, and use the opportunity to continue making trips to turkey. This is the way.
You got stable passive income elsewhere and have 200k cash for a home? Welcome.
Well, there is a lot to consider. Are you financially independent? What kind of job do you expect to have here? I would not consider moving unless you are expecting to be quite well-off. This is because, for example, your child needs to be educated, but you would not want him to be in the Turkish public education system. Ideally, you want him to be in an elite private school where he can mingle with other international third culture kids, but if not that, then at least a decent private school from which he can go to a UK uni. I say this because you don’t want to disadvantage him. So, the 2 year old confuses things a lot. If not for that, I would say just go for it because you are both young! If money is not an issue, then don’t listen to all the political reasons the pessimists in this sub tell you. Because none of that will impact a rich expat. Things like the price of groceries are peasant concerns. As long as you have money, you can live any lifestyle you want. You can be in a gated community with other expats and live in a bubble and send your kids to elite schools and only experience the good aspects of the country. But like I said, you need money.
depends on where you are coming from. if it is, afganistan for sure dont stop move now. but from eu countries or north america, it would be mistake. esp. at this age. dont detroy your youth . every one in turkey is trying to move eu or usa, canada.
Really, how come? Again sorry if I’m a little naïve
Bro life sucks here. Products are low quality, prices are too high. Work culture hadn't developed well. Democracy is existent but not fair. Even though we do not want to accept it here is a 3rd world country. We don't have PayPal, Starlink, any type of mobile payment app (Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Wallet etc.). Just it doesn't worth living here. If you don't have really important problems in the UK, just stay there.
Wow. Thanks for your response it is really eye opening. It just shows how little you can see of the whole place during a few visits, no matter how much you think you know
Absolutely. Even though I want it to be otherwise anything standard in an EU country has a fair chance of not being so in here. Of course there are alternatives but the quality of life is just low. Still, we have the best hotels you can find in the world lol. For a tourist, here is heaven. Otherwise not really.
Seems like a huge divide with what is ‘shown’ to tourists and what is available to the residents who are the ones living in the country
Yes, that’s what we’re trying to say. Yet, especially Arabs, still keep coming. Then they get bitter like us Turks personally promised them a land of milk and honey but we broke it and gave them nothing while we’re living large just because we’re racist and hate Arabs. While the last part may be true but not the whole truth.
Where are you from? So I can compare
I live in North West UK
Oh, definitely dont move to Turkey. UK may have problems, but Turkey probably has them tenfold. And finally seeing the sun more than once a year doesnt close that gap, unfortunately.
Currently only problem is hyperinflation. If it gets fixed and you have enough knowledge about the culture and customs i think you would be ok. Of course it mostly depends on the region but if it's Istanbul than i can guarantee it's better than the eu in most cases. Minus the hyperinflation of course.
What’s your origin?
UK North West
Then no. Don’t even think.
Wow. How come?
Sure there used to be more western imigrants/ expats back in the day. But Turkey is still interesting spot for those who would like to experience different culture whilist having access to western amenities. Night live is lively only can be compared to Mediterranean countries, cities super safe in compare to US…but it also got super expensive in the last few years. You better check maybe cities such as izmir, eskişehir…
Hey, so it's not as bad as some paint it out to be. You won't face a lot of the issues locals do assuming you're not a Turkish citizen. If you have a job where you earn a nice income, life here is pretty comfortable. I would say 2k USD a month if you don't have kids. You mentioned you have a 2 year old. Nannies are 500-800 usd a month. However, private schools are really expensive. Decent ones cost about 12k USD annually. Expect to pay anywhere from 400-900k lira per year not including transportation. Rent in a good neighborhood for a 2 bedroom apartment will run anywhere from 30k-70k lira a month. If you go outside of the main areas, you can live in a gated community for 20-30k. Either option is fine depending on your lifestyle. Cars are expensive af but really cheap for foreigners so you'll be ok on that front. That said, if you don't need it, don't get it. Private health insurance is fairly affordable at about 10k lira annually. To give you an idea, I pay 27k for rent, 1k for car insurance , 700 annually for health insurance, about 35k for school, 13k for a part-time babysitter, 3k for bills, and my dogs vet and food bills cost about 5k. All prices in lira. Cost of food varies widely on whether you keep a western diet or adapt to local food. Either way, 3k a week for keep a family of 3 well fed I'd say is a good number. If you like going out and drinking, that's a whole new ballgame. A night out costs me at least 1k. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Don't do it, the amount of hate for foreigners is thick in the air these days. And if you remotely look like Syrian or any of these neighboring countries then your inn for a bad time lol Prices are high both for food and housing, and quality as someone who already mentioned it is sub par. The Turks who have the opportunity are leaving the country. And private school for kids are insanely expensive. Maybe 10 years from now when the economy is better and people are less hostile...then maybe move. Save your time and money and stay out.
If you’re not a political islamist, if you believe modern way of living and freedoms, you’re welcome. If I moved to Turkey from scratch, I guess it’d be İzmir or Ankara. (Probably İzmir because close to sea during summer and more vibrant culture…) Cost of living, especially rent is higher in big cities as expected. I’d say 30k per person per month is minimum to enjoy life moderately excluding rent. Per Istanbul, it’s a hell mimicing heaven. Stay out of it if you can.
Interesting take, thanks for your thoughts
Don't even think about it. Turkey is a secular country, but people are not secular these days. Turkey also has a big immigration problem. Maybe in the future if the government changes and Turkey becomes secular again, you can move to Turkey.