Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,400

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ashgabat and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,400 in Ashgabat versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ashgabat $3,400
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,109 in Ashgabat versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ashgabat $5,109
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,818 in Ashgabat versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ashgabat $6,818
Phuket $3,154

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 166% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 150% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.91 TMT 104

$4.47 ฿151

591.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 TMT 292

$32.41 ฿1,093

168.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 TMT 42.92

$8.81 ฿297

45.40%

Cappuccino

$6.98 TMT 23.40

$2.83 ฿95.4

146.64%

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

$1.56 TMT 5.21

$0.87 ฿29.41

79.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$0.49 ฿16.65

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 TMT 18.76

$2.56 ฿86.3

118.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.68 TMT 45.84

$3.68 ฿124

271.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.49 TMT 15.03

$1.66 ฿55.9

170.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 TMT 6.72

$1.46 ฿49.31

37.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 TMT 19.34

$1.50 ฿50.5

284.67%

Eggs

$6.04 TMT 20.23

$2.09 ฿70.5

189.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.95 TMT 124

$19.07 ฿643

93.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.67 TMT 65.9

$3.30 ฿111

496.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.60 TMT 79.1

$10.91 ฿368

116.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 TMT 17.10

$2.93 ฿98.9

74.06%

Banana (1kg)

$8.63 TMT 28.91

$1.69 ฿57.0

410.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.53

$2.25 ฿75.8

225.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 TMT 12.30

$2.08 ฿70.0

76.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 TMT 7.75

$1.51 ฿51.0

52.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 TMT 4.65

$1.38 ฿46.52

0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 TMT 8.81

$1.07 ฿35.96

145.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 TMT 3.62

$0.52 ฿17.51

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.92 TMT 86.8

$4.20 ฿142

517.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.19 TMT 138

$18.79 ฿634

119.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.08 TMT 17.01

$1.82 ฿61.5

179.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TMT 9.51

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$1.45 ฿48.98

-89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 TMT 32.85

$56.7 ฿1,912

-82.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 TMT 9.39

$3.02 ฿102

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 TMT 2.92

$1.02 ฿34.33

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 TMT 29.33

$3.69 ฿125

137.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.37

$1.47 ฿49.76

-72.11%

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

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

66.48%

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

$57.0K TMT 190.8K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

113.40%

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

$576 TMT 1,930

$96.4 ฿3,251

498.09%

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

$58.3 TMT 195

$11.26 ฿380

417.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$16.85 ฿568

513.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 TMT 659

$67.2 ฿2,268

192.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.87 TMT 147

$10.73 ฿362

308.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 TMT 29.47

$7.50 ฿253

17.33%

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

$23.22 TMT 77.8

$476 ฿16.1K

-95.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K TMT 84.5K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

123.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 TMT 190

$62.4 ฿2,104

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$116 TMT 390

$28.41 ฿958

309.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$371 TMT 1,242

$94.3 ฿3,181

293.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 TMT 650

$85.8 ฿2,895

126.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 TMT 4,675

$716 ฿24.2K

94.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,349

$491 ฿16.6K

103.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 TMT 7,519

$1,927 ฿65.0K

16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 TMT 6,470

$1,431 ฿48.3K

35.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,614 TMT 12.1K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-13.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,901 TMT 9,717

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-4.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 TMT 2,507

$502 ฿16.9K

48.98%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashgabat

$1,000 29.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 50.9% $509

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$738 21.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 83.1% $614

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$664 19.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 59.9% $398

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$434 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 72% $313

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$332 9.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 63.3% $210

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$214 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 61.6% $132

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 302% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,396 in Ashgabat and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 49% 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: $87 in Ashgabat vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $664 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

2 h ahead of Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.267 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.74 TMT (1 TMT = 0.267 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to TMT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashgabat Phuket 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,400 in Ashgabat and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,396 in Ashgabat versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23 in Ashgabat versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,400 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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