Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Abadan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abadan: $2,170 a month against $3,367 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ashgabat
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$3,367
/mo nomad
Abadan
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$2,170
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Abadan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ashgabat and in Abadan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,367 in Ashgabat versus $2,170 in Abadan.

  • Ashgabat $3,367
  • Abadan $2,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,093 in Ashgabat versus $3,275 in Abadan.

  • Ashgabat $5,093
  • Abadan $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,820 in Ashgabat versus $4,379 in Abadan.

  • Ashgabat $6,820
  • Abadan $4,379

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 55% more expensive than in Abadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 148% above, Abadan 60% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.92 TMT 104
$30.79 TMT 103
0.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.5 TMT 290
$84.7 TMT 285
2.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.08 TMT 43.94
$12.80 TMT 42.99
2.19%
Cappuccino
$6.94 TMT 23.33
$6.63 TMT 22.29
4.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 TMT 5.32
$1.61 TMT 5.40
-1.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 TMT 2.83
$0.83 TMT 2.79
1.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.78 TMT 19.42
$5.68 TMT 19.10
1.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.40 TMT 45.02
$13.75 TMT 46.21
-2.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.41 TMT 14.82
$4.39 TMT 14.76
0.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 TMT 6.90
$2.08 TMT 6.98
-1.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.99 TMT 20.12
$5.74 TMT 19.30
4.36%
Eggs
$5.85 TMT 19.65
$5.93 TMT 19.92
-1.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$37.82 TMT 127
$37.90 TMT 127
-0.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$19.59 TMT 65.8
$19.79 TMT 66.5
-1.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.05 TMT 77.4
$23.03 TMT 77.4
0.09%
Apples (1kg)
$5.19 TMT 17.45
$5.12 TMT 17.19
1.37%
Banana (1kg)
$8.41 TMT 28.24
$8.56 TMT 28.75
-1.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.69 TMT 25.83
$7.41 TMT 24.89
3.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 TMT 11.99
$3.62 TMT 12.16
-1.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 TMT 7.74
$2.34 TMT 7.86
-1.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 TMT 4.76
$1.44 TMT 4.84
-1.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.72 TMT 9.15
$2.68 TMT 9.02
1.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 TMT 3.69
$1.12 TMT 3.77
-1.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.46 TMT 85.6
$25.87 TMT 86.9
-1.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$41.36 TMT 139
$41.57 TMT 140
-0.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.16 TMT 17.35
$5.33 TMT 17.93
-3.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 TMT 9.77
$2.90 TMT 9.75
0.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.14 TMT 0.47
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.01 TMT 33.62
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.83 TMT 9.50
$2.91 TMT 9.77
-2.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 TMT 2.84
$0.84 TMT 2.83
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.49 TMT 28.54
$8.38 TMT 28.16
1.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.44 TMT 1.50
$0.45 TMT 1.51
-2.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.2K TMT 148.4K
$44.0K TMT 148.0K
0.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$56.7K TMT 190.4K
$57.8K TMT 194.1K
-1.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$567 TMT 1,905
$566 TMT 1,902
0.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.8 TMT 191
$56.8 TMT 191
-0.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$103 TMT 345
$102 TMT 344
0.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$192 TMT 645
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$43.98 TMT 148
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.78 TMT 29.50
$8.57 TMT 28.81
2.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$23.20 TMT 77.9
$22.79 TMT 76.6
1.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.9K TMT 83.6K
$24.3K TMT 81.7K
2.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 TMT 189
$55.9 TMT 188
0.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$115 TMT 385
$112 TMT 377
2.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$368 TMT 1,238
$361 TMT 1,213
2.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$195 TMT 655
$190 TMT 639
2.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,412 TMT 4,745
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$982 TMT 3,298
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,273 TMT 7,636
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,959 TMT 6,582
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,585 TMT 12.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,851 TMT 9,580
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ashgabat
Abadan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 TMT 2,478
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.5
9.5
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ashgabat: October 17, 2026

Last update for Abadan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ashgabat
$982
Abadan
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashgabat
$727
Abadan
$725 0.2% $1.6
Groceries & Markets
Ashgabat
$666
Abadan
$667 0.3% $1.7
Eating Out
Ashgabat
$435
Abadan
$430 1.2% $5.3
Clothing & Footwear
Ashgabat
$330
Abadan
$324 2% $6.7
Sport & Entertainment
Ashgabat
$210
Abadan
$17 * 91.8% $192
Getting Around
Ashgabat
$18
Abadan
$7.1 * 59.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $86.0 in Ashgabat vs $85.0 in Abadan. Groceries flip the comparison at $666 vs $667, with Ashgabat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇲 Ashgabat
🇹🇲 Abadan
🕒 Local time
17:47 5:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
Same time as Ashgabat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
909,000 Capital
39,481
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.78 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ashgabat Abadan 24 km
From you
  • Ashgabat
  • Abadan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Ashgabat vs Abadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Abadan cheaper than Ashgabat?
Abadan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $5,050 in Ashgabat and $3,256 in Abadan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $23.20 in Ashgabat versus $22.79 in Abadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Ashgabat or in Abadan?
Dining out is cheaper in Abadan – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $86.0 in Ashgabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Ashgabat or in Abadan?
At $2,170 in Abadan versus $3,367 in Ashgabat, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Abadan but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Abadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Ashgabat or in Abadan?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Ashgabat or Abadan?
Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Abadan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Abadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ashgabat vs other spots: cost of living compared

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