Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,331 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. The total is higher in Ashgabat despite lower rent and utilities.

164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,331

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,331 in Ashgabat versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Ashgabat $3,331
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,094 in Ashgabat versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Ashgabat $5,094
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,857 in Ashgabat versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Ashgabat $6,857
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 23% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 149% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.23 TMT 105

$20.22 $20.22

54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 TMT 286

$85.0 $85.0

0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 TMT 42.51

$12.35 $12.35

2.43%

Cappuccino

$6.59 TMT 22.13

$5.47 $5.47

20.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 TMT 5.16

$3.82 $3.82

-59.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$2.50 $2.50

-67.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 TMT 19.04

$8.06 $8.06

-29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.74 TMT 46.18

$8.99 $8.99

52.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 TMT 15.05

$1.13 $1.13

296.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$3.78 $3.78

-45.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 TMT 19.54

$3.25 $3.25

79.08%

Eggs

$5.93 TMT 19.93

$4.14 $4.14

43.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.90 TMT 127

$13.08 $13.08

189.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.09 TMT 67.5

$14.31 $14.31

40.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.50 TMT 79.0

$15.96 $15.96

47.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 TMT 16.75

$4.38 $4.38

13.70%

Banana (1kg)

$8.53 TMT 28.66

$1.45 $1.45

488.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.60

$4.54 $4.54

61.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 TMT 12.12

$4.19 $4.19

-13.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.82

$2.63 $2.63

-11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 TMT 4.91

$2.36 $2.36

-38.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 TMT 9.03

$1.76 $1.76

52.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.75

$2.16 $2.16

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.56 TMT 85.9

$9.81 $9.81

160.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$42.09 TMT 141

$14.72 $14.72

185.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.26 TMT 17.67

$2.78 $2.78

89.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.70

$3.48 $3.48

-16.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$1.49 $1.49

-89.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.89 TMT 33.23

$40.51 $40.51

-75.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 TMT 9.76

$2.67 $2.67

8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 TMT 2.97

$1.58 $1.58

-44.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 TMT 28.25

$35.29 $35.29

-76.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.49

$0.99 $0.99

-55.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.6K TMT 149.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

24.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$57.2K TMT 192.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

110.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$580 TMT 1,950

$219 $219

164.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.8 TMT 191

$58.0 $58.0

-2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 348

$68.4 $68.4

51.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$191 TMT 642

$57.9 $57.9

230.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.50 TMT 153

$14.82 $14.82

207.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 TMT 28.67

$14.13 $14.13

-39.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$23.05 TMT 77.5

$1,509 $1,509

-98.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K TMT 83.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

15.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 TMT 184

$51.7 $51.7

6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 386

$44.05 $44.05

160.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$365 TMT 1,227

$85.1 $85.1

329.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 TMT 634

$105 $105

79.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 TMT 4,709

$1,932 $1,932

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,361

$1,272 $1,272

-21.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 TMT 7,686

$3,670 $3,670

-37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 TMT 6,452

$2,525 $2,525

-23.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 TMT 11.9K

$7,617 $7,617

-53.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,813 TMT 9,450

$3,199 $3,199

-12.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$736 TMT 2,475

$5,105 $5,105

-85.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

6.79

39.91%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$1K 29.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 27.2% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$741 21.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 53.3% $395

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$671 19.8%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 39.9% $268

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$432 12.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 19.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$326 9.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 60.5% $197

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$208 6.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 58.6% $122

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 221% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,402 in Ashgabat and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 593% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Ashgabat vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $671 vs $403, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

06:23 6:23 AM

10 h behind Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to TMT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ashgabat Austin, TX 12,040 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Austin, TX differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($3,331 vs $2,704 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 593% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,402 in Ashgabat versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.05 in Ashgabat versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.