Best Cities to Live in Turkey

If you struggle to maintain your living standards in your hometown and want to move to another country, Turkey can be a great alternative. With a cheap cost of living and high living standards, Turkey is the dream country for many foreigners.

In addition to this, there is an increasing trend in the international community to move to Turkey. Already, thousands of digital nomads are living in some of the popular cities and districts of this beautiful country.

Besides enjoying four seasons, you can easily travel from one corner to another in an hour by flight. Moreover, Turkish properties are one of the best investment assets in recent years. These prices increased by 30% in the last year!

So, it is the best time to buy a holiday house in Turkey. If you do not have enough budget yet, you can also rent a luxury villa for about $750 in a tourist destination. Whatever your reason is we have covered the best cities and districts to live in Turkey.

Best Cities for Expats to Live in Turkey

In this section, you are going to find some of the most popular cities and districts preferred by expats living in Turkey. Although you can live in any part of the country, we highly recommend considering the following cities and districts first. It is because these places are full of expats, and you can easily find an English speaker.

Istanbul

Istanbul is an amazing metropolitan that is home to more than 15 million registered residents. You can easily find people that have the same nationality as you. If you are planning to run a business while you are in Turkey, this city is the best option too.

It is often known as the finance capital of Turkey. Although the living costs are a bit more expensive than most Turkish cities, it is still affordable for many foreigners. Istanbul is also famous for being the home for most expats across the country.

In addition to this, you can find numerous activities to engage in during your stay. Without a doubt, it is impossible to get bored while living in Istanbul.

Izmir

Izmir is one of the popular tourist destinations. We do not recommend living in the city center since it is just a regular city which may not be appealing at all. On the other hand, some of the famous holiday destinations are located in Izmir.

Some of these include Cesme and Alacati. You can find dozens of amazing districts to move in. In addition to this, most of them are full of expats too.

Mugla

Mugla is the most popular tourist destination in Turkey with more than a dozen districts to choose from. In the following, you can find some of these amazing districts that you can consider.

Bodrum

Bodrum attracts the most domestic and foreign tourists during the holiday season. It has been the first choice of many Turkish celebrities for decades. You can easily find many Europeans permanently living in this district.

Dalaman

Dalaman is also very similar to Bodrum, the biggest advantage of Dalaman is it is right next to the Dalaman Airport. People who want to visit any district in Mugla usually land at this airport. The district is famous for its luxury villas. There are neighbors, where only Germans or British expats are living.

Fethiye

Fethiye is another popular district in Mugla. Among all other nationalities, Fethiye is famous for being the first choice of British people. In general, most of the retired British citizens move to Fethiye to spend and enjoy their time.

They are quite famous for sunbathing even on cloudy days. Some areas and neighborhoods were built by British nationals.

Antalya

Antalya is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey and the world. In general, Germans, British and Russian expats prefer Antalya. The best part of living in Antalya is you can enjoy the sun for almost ten months during the day.

On the other hand, you can always visit the highlands and enjoy winter sports, even in the summer season. If you are interested in watersports or sea, sand, sun tourism, Antalya can be one of the best options for you. Besides its natural beauty, Antalya also offers plenty of cultural and historical experiences.

Needless to say, Antalya and Mugla are located next to each other. You can always visit other beautiful touristic districts in your private car. In general, it will take between one and two hours to visit another popular district in the region.

Aydin

Aydin is one of the underestimated Turkish cities that has a surprisingly high number of expats. It is one of the hidden beauties of Turkey. In general, expats who are looking for a peaceful town life prefer Aydin and its districts.

Although Aydin is not as popular as the cities and districts we have shared in this guide, it still attracts plenty of visitors every tourism season. One of the noteworthy districts of Aydin is Kusadasi.

Kusadasi

If you are looking for a peaceful sea, sand, and sun tourism opportunity, then Kusadasi may be one of the best options for you. In general, British, and German tourists prefer this destination for holiday purposes. You can engage in all kinds of watersports in the district.

Besides luxurious villas, there are also plenty of amazing hotels that you can stay at. If you are planning to stay in Turkey for a whole year, Kusadasi can be a great choice with its natural beauties and texture.

Ankara

If you are planning to run a business, then you can also consider moving to Ankara. Ankara is the capital of Turkey, and all embassies are located in this beautiful city. Unlike the previous cities, Ankara does not have any shores, but it offers great cuisine and natural beauty.

In addition to this, the number of expats living in Ankara is quite low, when compared to the other cities and districts on this list. You may want to consider this fact while deciding on where to live in Turkey.