Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $465 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $35,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,400

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,400 in Ashgabat versus $465 in Mary.

Ashgabat $3,400
Mary $465

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,109 in Ashgabat versus $705 in Mary.

Ashgabat $5,109
Mary $705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,818 in Ashgabat versus $944 in Mary.

Ashgabat $6,818
Mary $944

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 630% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 150% above, Mary is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.91 TMT 104

$11.36 TMT 38.04

172.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 TMT 292

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 TMT 42.92

$8.81 TMT 29.52

45.40%

Cappuccino

$6.98 TMT 23.40

$8.41 TMT 28.18

-17.00%

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

$1.56 TMT 5.21

$12.82 TMT 42.95

-87.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$1.45 TMT 4.87

-43.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 TMT 18.76

$14.00 TMT 46.89

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.68 TMT 45.84

$11.57 TMT 38.75

18.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.49 TMT 15.03

$2.81 TMT 9.42

59.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 TMT 6.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 TMT 19.34

Eggs

$6.04 TMT 20.23

$6.77 TMT 22.67

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.95 TMT 124

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.67 TMT 65.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.60 TMT 79.1

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 TMT 17.10

$2.22 TMT 7.43

129.73%

Banana (1kg)

$8.63 TMT 28.91

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.53

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 TMT 12.30

$1.47 TMT 4.91

149.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 TMT 7.75

$2.01 TMT 6.75

14.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 TMT 4.65

$1.70 TMT 5.69

-18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 TMT 8.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 TMT 3.62

$1.16 TMT 3.89

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.92 TMT 86.8

$17.27 TMT 57.9

50.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.19 TMT 138

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.08 TMT 17.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TMT 9.51

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 TMT 32.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 TMT 9.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 TMT 2.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 TMT 29.33

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.37

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

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

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

$57.0K TMT 190.8K

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

$576 TMT 1,930

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

$58.3 TMT 195

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 TMT 659

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.87 TMT 147

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 TMT 29.47

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

$23.22 TMT 77.8

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K TMT 84.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 TMT 190

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$116 TMT 390

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$371 TMT 1,242

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 TMT 650

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 TMT 4,675

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,349

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 TMT 7,519

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 TMT 6,470

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,614 TMT 12.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,901 TMT 9,717

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 TMT 2,507

$210 TMT 705

255.64%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$1,000 29.4%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$738 21.7%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$664 19.5%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$434 12.8%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$332 9.8%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$214 6.3%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Ashgabat pays about 3.6 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

Same time as Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

123,000

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashgabat Mary 310 km

From you

Ashgabat
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,400 in Ashgabat and $465 in Mary, so Mary is about 86% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Ashgabat is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 584% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,400 per month in Ashgabat versus $465 in Mary – Mary is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $465 in Mary versus $3,400 in Ashgabat, a $800 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Mary are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mary wins on affordability, Ashgabat on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.