Türkiye’s Economic Woes Spill Over into Society
Expats in Türkiye enjoy the weather, cuisine, and rich history but must deal with a lethargic bureaucracy, increasing living costs, and worsening conditions.
In Brief
Türkiye ranks 45th out of 46 countries in the 2025 Expat Insider survey — and in fact, it’s consistently been in or hovering around the bottom 10 over the years. Every index except for the Ease of Settling In Index can be found in the bottom 10. Compared to the global average (15%), a higher share of expats in Türkiye (26%) are unhappy with their life abroad.
Locals May Not Be the Friendliest
In 32nd place is the Ease of Settling In Index. This is one of Türkiye’s best-performing indices as no matter how it fluctuates over the years, it stays outside the bottom 10. Nevertheless, expats don’t have the easiest time integrating with the locals or kickstarting their social life. Half of them say the population is friendly towards foreign residents (50%) and that they have a support network (49%) — yet that’s a lower percentage than the global average (vs. 60% and 55%, respectively).
Overall, 32% of respondents don’t feel at home in Türkiye (vs. 23% globally), and a similar share (30%) is unhappy with their social life, though that’s not too far off from the global sentiment (vs. 29%).
Enjoy the Great Mediterranean Climate, At Least
Türkiye’s Quality of Life Index (41st) sees its first descent into the bottom 10. The Environment & Climate (38th) and Safety & Security (44th) Subcategories fare the worst. Expats are unhappy with the sustainability stance of the country, from availability of green goods (41st) to policies that protect the environment (38th). And while the urban environment leaves much to be desired (38th), the climate & weather is at least great (10th)!
In terms of safety, 44% of expats there don’t feel comfortable openly expressing themselves or their opinions — more than double the global average of 18%. A lower yet still significant share (35%) rate the political stability negatively (vs. 18% globally).
A silver lining is the availability of public transportation (18th) and the culture & nightlife (21st), though you won’t find many opportunities for recreational sports (43rd). And if you get sick, the quality of healthcare you’ll receive is decent (25th) yet expensive (37th).
Bills, Bills, Bills
High medical bills are just one contributing factor to expats’ overall unhappiness with the cost of living in Türkiye: 60% rate this factor negatively, 20 percentage points higher than the global average (40%). More than two in five respondents (42%) say their disposable household income isn’t enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 31% globally), with a third (33%) unsatisfied with their financial situation (vs. 26%). This means the Personal Finance Index falls in the bottom 10 in 43rd place.
Economy Woes & Lacking Digital Infrastructure
The two worst-performing indices are Working Abroad (45th) and Expat Essentials (45th). All of their underlying subcategories rank in the bottom 10, including a poor Digital Life (44th) and shaky Salary & Job Security (46th).
While the state of Türkiye’s economy comes in dead last (46th), the local job market still has some life (30th). But the working environment doesn’t seem pleasant, with expats unhappy with their compensation (41st), flexibility of the business culture (43rd), and working hours (45th). Compared to 60% globally, only 43% of respondents in Türkiye are satisfied with their job.
The digital infrastructure only adds to their woes, with expats reporting difficulty getting high-speed internet (45th) and only restricted access to online services like social media (45th) once they’re connected. On top of this, less than a quarter of expats find it easy to deal with the local authorities and bureaucracy (20% vs. 37% globally) or afford housing (22% vs. 34%).
Find out more in our articles on Working Abroad and Expat Essentials.
The Typical Expat in Türkiye
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Kathrin Chudoba
Editor in chief
