Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $3,331 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,331

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Budapest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,331 in Ashgabat versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Ashgabat $3,331
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,094 in Ashgabat versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Ashgabat $5,094
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,857 in Ashgabat versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Ashgabat $6,857
Budapest $3,489

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 105% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 149% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.23 TMT 105

$13.99 Ft 4,555

123.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 TMT 285

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

41.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 TMT 42.39

$9.96 Ft 3,244

27.01%

Cappuccino

$6.59 TMT 22.07

$3.38 Ft 1,102

94.97%

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

$1.53 TMT 5.14

$2.13 Ft 693

-28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.74

$1.87 Ft 609

-56.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 TMT 18.98

$3.75 Ft 1,222

51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.74 TMT 46.04

$3.57 Ft 1,163

284.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 TMT 15.00

$1.13 Ft 369

296.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 TMT 6.88

$1.84 Ft 600

11.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 TMT 19.48

$2.39 Ft 777

143.51%

Eggs

$5.93 TMT 19.87

$3.83 Ft 1,246

54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.90 TMT 127

$11.33 Ft 3,689

234.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.09 TMT 67.3

$6.74 Ft 2,194

198.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.50 TMT 78.7

$14.69 Ft 4,784

59.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 TMT 16.70

$1.84 Ft 598

170.65%

Banana (1kg)

$8.53 TMT 28.58

$2.01 Ft 654

324.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.52

$2.36 Ft 767

210.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 TMT 12.09

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.80

$0.96 Ft 314

142.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 TMT 4.90

$1.03 Ft 335

41.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 TMT 9.00

$1.56 Ft 509

72.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.74

$0.66 Ft 216

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.56 TMT 85.6

$7.96 Ft 2,594

221.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$42.09 TMT 141

$6.01 Ft 1,956

600.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.26 TMT 17.62

$1.30 Ft 422

304.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.67

$2.08 Ft 677

38.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$1.50 Ft 490

-90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.89 TMT 33.13

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-64.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 TMT 9.73

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-12.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 TMT 2.96

$1.30 Ft 424

-32.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 TMT 28.17

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-57.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.48

$1.81 Ft 591

-75.69%

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

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

51.93%

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

$57.2K TMT 191.5K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

67.57%

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

$580 TMT 1,944

$170 Ft 55.3K

241.46%

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

$56.8 TMT 190

$23.98 Ft 7,809

136.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$23.42 Ft 7,628

341.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$191 TMT 640

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

188.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.50 TMT 152

$19.18 Ft 6,245

137.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 TMT 28.58

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-10.40%

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

$23.05 TMT 77.2

$537 Ft 174.8K

-95.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K TMT 83.0K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

49.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 TMT 184

$101 Ft 33.0K

-45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 385

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

167.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$365 TMT 1,224

$113 Ft 36.7K

223.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 TMT 632

$119 Ft 38.7K

58.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 TMT 4,695

$805 Ft 262.2K

74.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,351

$629 Ft 204.9K

58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 TMT 7,663

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

47.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 TMT 6,433

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

64.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 TMT 11.8K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-37.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,813 TMT 9,422

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-29.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$736 TMT 2,467

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-54.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

6.43

47.74%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$1K 29.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 37.1% $371

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$741 21.8%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 70.7% $523

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$671 19.8%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 61.6% $413

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$432 12.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 48.1% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$326 9.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 48.1% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$208 6.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 59% $123

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 144% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,402 in Ashgabat and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 121% 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 $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

3 h behind Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to TMT in detail →

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Between locations

Ashgabat Budapest 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Budapest differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($3,331 vs $1,621 including rent). Budapest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Budapest. 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 $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.05 in Ashgabat versus $537 in Budapest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $3,331 in Ashgabat, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Budapest 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 Budapest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.