Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,448 in Ashgabat versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,119 in Ashgabat versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,790 in Ashgabat versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 180% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 152% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.00 TMT 107

$4.41 ฿147

625.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 TMT 288

$32.26 ฿1,077

166.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.70 TMT 42.55

$8.93 ฿298

42.22%

Cappuccino

$6.99 TMT 23.41

$2.90 ฿96.6

141.03%

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

$1.56 TMT 5.22

$0.88 ฿29.38

77.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 TMT 2.79

$0.48 ฿16.06

72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 TMT 18.56

$2.35 ฿78.5

135.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 TMT 44.83

$3.72 ฿124

259.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.40 TMT 14.73

$1.87 ฿62.3

135.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 TMT 6.97

$1.47 ฿48.94

41.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 TMT 20.06

$1.55 ฿51.8

286.45%

Eggs

$5.90 TMT 19.78

$2.10 ฿70.1

180.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$38.28 TMT 128

$19.59 ฿654

95.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.69 TMT 66.0

$3.42 ฿114

475.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.82 TMT 76.5

$11.38 ฿380

100.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 TMT 17.23

$2.98 ฿99.6

72.48%

Banana (1kg)

$8.64 TMT 28.94

$1.68 ฿56.2

414.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.49 TMT 25.08

$2.21 ฿73.7

238.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 TMT 12.70

$2.16 ฿72.1

75.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 TMT 7.85

$1.52 ฿50.9

53.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 TMT 4.83

$1.34 ฿44.67

7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 TMT 9.21

$1.13 ฿37.67

143.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 TMT 3.78

$0.55 ฿18.24

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.85 TMT 86.6

$4.26 ฿142

506.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.91 TMT 140

$19.09 ฿637

119.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.06 TMT 16.96

$1.78 ฿59.4

184.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.69

$2.78 ฿92.9

3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.46

$2.23 ฿74.4

-93.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.13 TMT 33.94

$22.74 ฿759

-55.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 TMT 9.51

$3.03 ฿101

-6.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 TMT 2.99

$1.02 ฿34.15

-12.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 TMT 28.62

$3.89 ฿130

119.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.38

$1.49 ฿49.77

-72.48%

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

$43.7K TMT 146.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

64.33%

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

$56.1K TMT 187.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

107.49%

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

$578 TMT 1,937

$102 ฿3,420

464.29%

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

$56.6 TMT 190

$11.33 ฿378

399.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 TMT 339

$17.40 ฿581

480.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$192 TMT 643

$52.1 ฿1,738

268.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.06 TMT 151

$11.07 ฿370

307.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 TMT 27.89

$7.69 ฿257

8.19%

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

$22.71 TMT 76.1

$561 ฿18.7K

-95.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K TMT 81.8K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

112.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 TMT 185

$63.0 ฿2,104

-12.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 385

$29.52 ฿986

289.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$358 TMT 1,200

$98.0 ฿3,272

265.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 TMT 657

$88.5 ฿2,954

121.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 TMT 3,817

$738 ฿24.6K

54.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 TMT 3,322

$482 ฿16.1K

105.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 TMT 7,557

$2,107 ฿70.3K

7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 TMT 6,506

$1,226 ฿40.9K

58.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 TMT 12.1K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

0.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,838 TMT 9,506

$2,603 ฿86.9K

9.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$743 TMT 2,488

$494 ฿16.5K

50.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

5.57

70.56%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,140 in Ashgabat and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 50% 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: $86.0 in Ashgabat vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $670 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Phuket differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($3,448 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,140 in Ashgabat versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.71 in Ashgabat versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,448 in Ashgabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.