Is Turkey A Safe Place For Expats To Live? Pros & Cons Of Living

As an expat, have you ever thought whether is turkey a safe place for expats to live or not? If yes, you are not alone. The strategic location, affordable cost of living, beautiful weather, professional & business opportunities make turkey one of the best places to go for expats.

But still the question is “is turkey a safe place for expats to live reddit?” To answer this question in depth, we have compiled a blog post that are designed to answer all expat’s safety queries you may have in your mind.

So, let’s start this blog post and come to a solid conclusion at the end of this blog post.

Is Turkey a Safe Place for Expats to Live?

In comparison of United States of America, Turkey is considered as safest place to live and work. The crime rate in Turkey is quite lower than USA and has been dropped over the past few years. As an expat, turkey is not only a safest place but also provide various career and work balance opportunities.

Major & famous turkey cities like Antalya. Istanbul, Cappadocia and Bodrum are highly safe as compared to small cities or towns. The surrounding areas of Syria and Kurdistan borders are considered as high-risk areas with safety threats and crime issues.

To know what other things expats can expect from turkey, do not skip out on reading.

Which Turkey Cities are Safe & Which Ones Not?

As earlier mentioned, Turkey is considered as a safest place. But you must know which countries are safe to live and which one not. Let’s take a look on safest and non-safest cities.

Safe Cities of Turkey

Cappadocia
Ankara
Bodrum
Bursa
Marmaris
Istanbul
Pamukkale

Cities that are not Safe

Surrounding areas of Syria border

Surrounding areas of Iran border

Surrounding areas of Iraq border

Pros and Cons of Turkey Country for Expats

There are many great sides to live in this country but also there are some negatives as well. So, let’s discuss pros and cons of living in Turkey as an expat.

Pros

1. Affordable Cost of Living

Is Turkey a good place to live reddit? Normally, expats relocate from one location to another just because of study purposes, professional career opportunities or balanced growth so cost of living matters for them.

Turkey is relatively cheaper than Europe and you could expect to live a lavish lifestyle with median expense. However, Turkey is not a cheapest place for locals but foreigners could expect affordable lifestyle just because of having another currency.

2. Large Community of Expats

All over the Turkey especially in Istanbul, you can easily meet like-minded people or expats. With them, you can build strong relationship and coordinate, as required. Also, they will help you to settle a lot faster and build an effective relationship in community.

So, when you are unsure how to do something or how to fix any issue? The expat community will help you a lot in this regard. This is a benefit and edge point especially for those who want to relocate for the very first time.

3. Relaxing Summer & Mild Winters

Is Turkey a good place to live and work? Turkey is not only famous for stunning beauty, affordable cost of living, or large community of expats but also the weather conditions are enough favorable to live and work here without harsh weather conditions.

The summer weather is bearable if you prefer air-conditioned facility and use lightweight clothes. If we talk about winter, you could expect a mild winter without too much cold and freezing temperatures.

4. Good Healthcare

One of the biggest pros of living in Turkey is good healthcare system with quality treatment. In turkey, there are various healthcare service companies that are providing healthcare services to their patients with additional benefits.

No one want to end up sick in hospital without any insurance. Luckily, Turkish government provides medical insurance plans for both nationals and expats. But for this, you have to meet essential criteria regarding Turkey nationality.

Cons

1. Difficulties in Finding a Job

One of the bad things about living in Turkey is difficulty in finding a job especially for foreigners. This issue normally creates when you do not have grip on local Turkish language or are not a representative of any in-demand profession.

According to their law, citizens of Turkey have more seats in employment sectors. Most of the expats prefer to work in tourism, real-estate or restaurant industry. So, before moving here, keep this thing in mind.

2. Expensive Cars & Fuel

Cars in turkey as well as their fuel are expensive. You can barely purchase vehicle or car of your own choice from 7-year saving plan. This is one of the major disadvantages of living in Istanbul as you can’t move from one place to another on luxurious car.

So, if you prefer to save money or couldn’t afford car expense, it is recommended to choose local transport system like bus. The local transport system of Turkey is quite affordable, efficient and good quality.

3. Language Barrier

Most of the Turkish people do not understand English and that’s the main cause they do not understand you, even if you are speaking English. Turkish often speak Russian quite clearly so if you speak Russian, there’s not any issue for you.

As an expat, if want to go to Turkey permanently, it is recommended to study their national language so you won’t face any issues hereafter. This will make it much easier for you to communicate with local people without any language barrier issues.

4. Secular State

Most of the Turkish local residents are Muslim but it doesn’t mean that you do not have freedom or right to follow own religious norms. Turkey respect other religion’s sentiments but for this, you have to respect their cultural norms too.

Living in Istanbul as a woman needs to dress appropriately as most of the Turkish females wear hijab. There’re no any strict requirements regarding dressing of ladies but still you have to aware of that as a foreigner female.

Threatening Crimes & Personal Safety

Is Turkey a good country to live in? Terrorism and petty crimes are some of the extreme cases no matter what the state is. Istanbul, the major city of Turkey has improved safety over the past few years. By installing more cameras, the petty crimes are reduced to a larger extent.

How is life in Turkey for foreigners? The Turkish authorities know how to maintain safety of both residents and tourists. When the sun goes down or during midnight, you need to take certain precautions like:

Keep your valuables secure.
Hide your money in form of cash.
Avoid visiting less-crowded places or spots.
Be cautious in huge crowded areas where theft or pickpocketing risks are higher.

With these precautions or travel tips, any foreigner and expat can preserve safety without major security threats. Still, if you face any safety issues during your stay, you can seek guidance from locals or security officials.

Conclusion!

Is turkey a safe place for expats to live? Turkey is overall a safest country to live as an expat but with certain precautions and essential safety things. Aside from the general safety, Turkey has a lot to offer to expats in form of professional, career growth and enjoyment opportunities.

Expats can enjoy the warm hospitality of like-minded expats or local residents. The amazing beauty of Turkey allow visitors to enjoy outdoor fun, taste mouthwatering cuisines and more. Hope you have a safer and happier experience of Turkey.