Türkiye, Poland, Romania or India: Nearshore Compared
The four locations European companies realistically choose between differ less in capability than in three practical dimensions: cost, timezone offset, and data protection status. Poland and Romania are EU members, so the GDPR applies directly — that is their strongest argument and a point where Türkiye is at a disadvantage. On the other hand the cost gap against Poland and Romania has widened again in recent years, as salaries there have moved substantially toward Western European levels. India remains cheapest per hour but frequently gives that advantage back through a three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half hour offset that narrows the shared working window considerably.
The dimensions that decide it
- Offset from Central Europe: Poland effectively none, Romania and Türkiye one to two hours, India roughly three and a half to four and a half.
- Data protection: Poland and Romania inside the EU with no transfer mechanism needed; Türkiye and India without an adequacy decision, so Art. 46 Standard Contractual Clauses are required.
- Cost level: Poland and Romania now considerably closer to Western European rates, Türkiye below them, India lowest.
- German-speaking project leadership: widely available in Poland and Türkiye, less common in Romania, the exception in India.
How we frame the decision
- 01If data protection is the binding constraint, an EU location wins. That is not a marketing claim — it follows directly from there being no third-country transfer inside the EU.
- 02If daily coordination in a shared window matters, offshore is effectively ruled out regardless of hourly rate.
- 03If budget is the binding constraint and data protection remains solvable contractually, Türkiye is currently the most balanced point between cost and timezone.
Where Türkiye is not the best answer
- On data protection alone: Poland and Romania need no Art. 46 transfer mechanism, Türkiye does. If your legal team insists on that, the decision is already made.
- On hourly price alone: India is lower. Whether that still holds after coordination overhead is the real question.
- For work requiring on-site presence in Germany several days a week.
Comparison questions
- On data protection, yes: inside the EU the third-country transfer disappears and with it a whole block of documentation duties. The price is a cost level that has moved noticeably toward Western European rates in recent years. Which of the two weighs more depends on how sensitive the processed data actually is.
The long read
Choosing a software company in Türkiye (2026)
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