Changing the Apple ID region has become a necessary measure for most Apple device owners in Russia. After all payment methods were disabled in the Russian App Store, using the previous account for purchases and subscriptions is practically impossible. The two most popular destinations for “moving” are the USA and Turkey. In this article, we’ll compare both options in detail by prices, service availability, app selection, and top-up convenience so you can make an informed decision.
Choosing a country for Apple ID
How to Change Apple ID Region to USA or Turkey
Before choosing between the USA and Turkey, you need to understand the mechanism of changing the country. You can change the Apple ID region (Apple now calls it “Apple Account”) directly from an iPhone, iPad, or through a browser. And yes, Apple does not block region changes for Russian users. Here are step-by-step instructions for iPhone:
You can change the region in a couple of taps
- Open “Settings” and tap on your name at the top of the screen.
- Go to “Media & Purchases” — “View Account.”
- Tap “Country/Region” — “Change Country or Region.”
- Select the desired country (United States or Türkiye) from the list.
- Accept the terms and conditions for the new region.
- Specify a payment method (you can choose “None” if you’re not ready to link a card yet) and enter an address in the selected country.
Important: before changing the region, you need to spend all remaining funds in your Apple ID balance, cancel all active subscriptions, and wait for their terms to expire. If there’s money left on the balance, the system won’t allow you to change the country — this is a common reason why users can’t complete the procedure.
For an American account, you’ll need to enter a US address. Any real address will work — for example, you can use a New York zip code (10001) or any other city without sales tax on digital goods, such as Oregon (97201), Montana (59001), or New Hampshire (03101). For a Turkish account, you similarly need an address in Turkey — any address in Istanbul or Antalya will work.
As for frequency — Apple doesn’t set a strict limit on region changes, but if you do it too often, the system may temporarily block the ability to switch. In practice, changing the country once every few months doesn’t cause any problems.
Comparison of Apple Subscription Prices in USA and Turkey
The price question is the main argument for those choosing between the two regions. Turkey has long been considered the most budget-friendly option, but after several waves of price increases in Turkish lira, the situation has changed significantly. Let’s compare the cost of key subscriptions.
Comparison of Apple subscription prices in different regions
Apple Music (individual subscription):
- Russia — 169 ₽ (payment impossible)
- Turkey — approximately 107 ₽ (59.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 1,010 ₽ ($10.99)
Apple Music (family subscription):
- Turkey — approximately 160 ₽ (89.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 1,500 ₽ ($16.99)
iCloud+ 50 GB:
- Russia — 59 ₽
- Turkey — approximately 53 ₽ (29.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 90 ₽ ($0.99)
iCloud+ 200 GB:
- Russia — 149 ₽
- Turkey — approximately 160 ₽ (89.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 275 ₽ ($2.99)
iCloud+ 2 TB:
- Russia — 599 ₽
- Turkey — approximately 535 ₽ (299.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 1,010 ₽ ($10.99)
Apple One (individual):
- Turkey — approximately 250 ₽ (139.99 TRY)
- USA — approximately 1,740 ₽ ($19.95)
The picture is mixed. For subscriptions like Apple Music and Apple One, Turkey still wins by a huge margin — the difference with the USA can be tenfold. iCloud+ storage in Turkey is also cheaper, though the gap is not as impressive.
App availability in the App Store
It’s also worth considering prices for apps and in-app purchases. Many developers still set minimum prices for the Turkish App Store. A popular app that costs $4.99 in the USA (approximately 540 ₽) may cost 79.99 TRY (approximately 143 ₽) in Turkey. However, major publishers are gradually equalizing prices, so this difference is shrinking.
If budget is your main priority, the Turkish region remains significantly cheaper. But you need to consider other factors, discussed below.
App Availability in the App Store
The difference in the App Store catalog between the USA and Turkey is the second key factor when choosing a region. And here, the American account wins on virtually all counts.
The American App Store has more apps. Image: habr.com
US App Store is the most complete app catalog in the world. If an app exists for iOS, it’s almost guaranteed to be available in the American store. All global app premieres, beta versions, exclusive utilities — everything appears here first. Additionally, some services only work in the American region:
- Apple News and Apple News+
- Apple Fitness+ with the full workout library
- Apple Card (tied to Goldman Sachs, unavailable outside the US, but some related Wallet features work)
- Full set of Apple Intelligence features (as they roll out)
- iTunes Store with the largest movie and music library
Turkish App Store covers the vast majority of everyday needs. All major apps — messengers, social networks, international banking clients, streaming services — are all available. However, there are some limitations:
- Some niche apps may be missing because the developer didn’t include Turkey in the list of available regions
- New releases sometimes appear with a delay of several days or weeks
- Apple News+ and Fitness+ are unavailable
- Certain fintech apps and utilities for working with American services may be unavailable
As for content — movies, TV shows, and music — the difference is also noticeable. The American Apple TV+ has the largest library available, and many Hollywood projects have Russian audio tracks or subtitles.
In Turkish Apple TV+, the catalog is more modest, and localization is oriented toward the Turkish language — finding Russian dubbing or subtitles is significantly harder. The difference in Apple Music is minimal: 99% of the global catalog is available in both regions. Differences may only concern individual local releases.
Topping Up Apple ID Balance in the USA and Turkey from Russia
Russian bank cards don’t work in any foreign App Store. Therefore, topping up the balance is a separate task, and the convenience of solving it differs noticeably depending on the region.
