Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Kaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaka: $2,192 a month against $3,367 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
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Kaka Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,367

/mo nomad

Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Kaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,367 in Ashgabat versus $2,192 in Kaka.

Ashgabat $3,367
Kaka $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,093 in Ashgabat versus $3,313 in Kaka.

Ashgabat $5,093
Kaka $3,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,820 in Ashgabat versus $4,434 in Kaka.

Ashgabat $6,820
Kaka $4,434

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 54% more expensive than in Kaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 148% above, Kaka 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.92 TMT 104

$31.67 TMT 106

-2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 TMT 290

$86.7 TMT 291

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.08 TMT 43.94

$13.00 TMT 43.68

0.62%

Cappuccino

$6.94 TMT 23.33

$6.67 TMT 22.41

4.05%

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

$1.58 TMT 5.32

$1.56 TMT 5.24

1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 TMT 2.83

$0.83 TMT 2.80

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 TMT 19.42

$5.62 TMT 18.87

2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.40 TMT 45.02

$13.53 TMT 45.46

-0.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.41 TMT 14.82

$4.44 TMT 14.93

-0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$2.04 TMT 6.86

0.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 TMT 20.12

$5.69 TMT 19.12

5.27%

Eggs

$5.85 TMT 19.65

$6.08 TMT 20.44

-3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.82 TMT 127

$37.88 TMT 127

-0.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.59 TMT 65.8

$20.37 TMT 68.4

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 TMT 77.4

$23.28 TMT 78.2

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 TMT 17.45

$5.16 TMT 17.32

0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$8.41 TMT 28.24

$8.55 TMT 28.73

-1.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.69 TMT 25.83

$7.40 TMT 24.88

3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 TMT 11.99

$3.70 TMT 12.44

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 TMT 7.74

$2.29 TMT 7.70

0.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 TMT 4.76

$1.41 TMT 4.74

0.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 TMT 9.15

$2.61 TMT 8.77

4.21%

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

$26.07 TMT 87.6

-2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.36 TMT 139

$42.14 TMT 142

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.16 TMT 17.35

$5.36 TMT 18.00

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 TMT 9.77

$2.88 TMT 9.68

1.04%

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

$2.79 TMT 9.37

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 TMT 2.84

$0.82 TMT 2.76

2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 TMT 28.54

$8.66 TMT 29.11

-1.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.50

$0.41 TMT 1.38

7.32%

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

$44.2K TMT 148.4K

$43.9K TMT 147.6K

0.58%

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

$56.7K TMT 190.4K

$56.4K TMT 189.5K

0.47%

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

$567 TMT 1,905

$570 TMT 1,916

-0.55%

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

$56.8 TMT 191

$57.5 TMT 193

-1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 345

$101 TMT 340

1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$192 TMT 645

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.98 TMT 148

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 TMT 29.50

$8.44 TMT 28.34

4.03%

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

$23.20 TMT 77.9

$22.40 TMT 75.3

3.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K TMT 83.6K

$24.7K TMT 83.1K

0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 TMT 189

$54.9 TMT 184

2.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 385

$116 TMT 390

-1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$368 TMT 1,238

$367 TMT 1,232

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 TMT 655

$194 TMT 652

0.46%

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

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 TMT 2,478

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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 Kaka: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$982 29.2%

Kaka

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$727 21.6%

Kaka

$729 33.3% 0.3% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$666 19.8%

Kaka

$673 30.7% 1.1% $7.1

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$435 12.9%

Kaka

$437 19.9% 0.4% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$330 9.8%

Kaka

$329 15% 0.3% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$210 6.2%

Kaka

$17 * 0.8% 92% $193

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Kaka

$6.9 * 0.3% 60.8% $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 $87.0 in Kaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $666 vs $673 per month, with Ashgabat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Kaka

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

33,315

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashgabat Kaka 130 km

From you

Ashgabat
Kaka

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 Kaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Kaka differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,367 vs $2,192 including rent). Kaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,050 in Ashgabat and $3,288 in Kaka 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.

Childcare runs $23.20 in Ashgabat versus $22.40 in Kaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaka – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $86.0 in Ashgabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,192 in Kaka versus $3,367 in Ashgabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaka but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Kaka 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 Kaka 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 Kaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.