Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,109 in Ashgabat versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,786 in Ashgabat versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,463 in Ashgabat versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 265% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 134% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.12 TMT 118

$2.04 ฿68.4

1621.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 TMT 282

$18.71 ฿626

349.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.34 TMT 48.19

$7.86 ฿263

82.44%

Cappuccino

$7.20 TMT 24.19

$2.03 ฿67.9

254.68%

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

$3.28 TMT 11.01

$0.80 ฿26.71

310.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 TMT 3.00

$0.35 ฿11.71

154.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 TMT 17.43

$2.14 ฿71.7

142.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.49 TMT 48.69

$3.67 ฿123

294.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.96 TMT 16.67

$1.73 ฿57.8

186.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 TMT 7.96

$1.57 ฿52.5

50.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.24 TMT 24.33

$1.20 ฿40.10

503.33%

Eggs

$6.31 TMT 21.21

$1.97 ฿66.0

220.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.74 TMT 137

$16.23 ฿543

151.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.78 TMT 63.1

$3.06 ฿102

513.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 TMT 63.0

$10.80 ฿361

73.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 TMT 18.40

$2.77 ฿92.6

97.83%

Banana (1kg)

$8.78 TMT 29.51

$1.17 ฿39.05

650.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.85 TMT 26.39

$1.71 ฿57.1

359.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 TMT 11.61

$1.59 ฿53.3

117.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 TMT 7.48

$1.39 ฿46.63

60.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 TMT 5.90

$1.16 ฿38.67

51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 TMT 6.66

$0.66 ฿22.11

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 TMT 3.70

$0.52 ฿17.35

111.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.79 TMT 86.6

$4.65 ฿155

454.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.98 TMT 141

$17.78 ฿595

136.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 TMT 15.57

$1.79 ฿59.8

158.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TMT 9.88

$3.34 ฿112

-11.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$0.91 ฿30.35

-83.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.35 TMT 28.07

$18.64 ฿624

-55.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 TMT 9.38

$1.41 ฿47.17

97.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 TMT 2.72

$1.34 ฿44.82

-39.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 TMT 28.57

$8.11 ฿271

4.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.38

$1.23 ฿41.27

-66.67%

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

$43.2K TMT 145.3K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

101.68%

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

$57.2K TMT 192.2K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

162.12%

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

$578 TMT 1,943

$71.3 ฿2,386

710.77%

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

$57.7 TMT 194

$14.01 ฿469

311.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 348

$17.93 ฿600

476.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$196 TMT 659

$40.82 ฿1,365

380.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.49 TMT 149

$6.88 ฿230

546.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 TMT 47.14

$5.72 ฿191

145.28%

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

$23.12 TMT 77.7

$308 ฿10.3K

-92.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K TMT 85.9K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

74.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 TMT 224

$55.8 ฿1,865

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 405

$26.04 ฿871

362.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$305 TMT 1,024

$84.8 ฿2,837

259.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 TMT 619

$71.0 ฿2,375

159.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 TMT 3,786

$423 ฿14.2K

166.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 TMT 2,494

$242 ฿8,110

206.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 TMT 6,107

$797 ฿26.7K

128.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 TMT 5,486

$507 ฿17.0K

222.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,513 TMT 11.8K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

83.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,877 TMT 9,667

$1,464 ฿49.0K

96.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$742 TMT 2,494

$595 ฿19.9K

24.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

90.00%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ashgabat and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Ashgabat vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $244 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Chiang Mai differ by about 265% in total monthly costs ($3,109 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Ashgabat, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ashgabat versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.12 in Ashgabat versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $3,109 in Ashgabat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 265% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.