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: $3,146 in Ashgabat versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,862 in Ashgabat versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,579 in Ashgabat versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 149% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 134% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.27 TMT 118

$4.56 ฿149

673.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 TMT 291

$46.63 ฿1,519

85.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.14 TMT 47.53

$8.47 ฿276

66.94%

Cappuccino

$7.18 TMT 24.11

$3.03 ฿98.6

136.96%

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

$3.22 TMT 10.82

$0.69 ฿22.45

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 TMT 2.99

$0.37 ฿11.92

140.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 TMT 17.68

$2.49 ฿81.0

111.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.30 TMT 48.06

$3.66 ฿119

290.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.81 TMT 16.17

$2.18 ฿71.0

120.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 TMT 8.11

$1.90 ฿62.0

26.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 TMT 24.45

$2.20 ฿71.6

230.91%

Eggs

$6.01 TMT 20.19

$2.22 ฿72.4

170.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.33 TMT 132

$19.99 ฿651

96.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 TMT 62.2

$3.66 ฿119

405.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 TMT 63.4

$13.25 ฿432

42.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 TMT 18.46

$3.23 ฿105

69.97%

Banana (1kg)

$9.09 TMT 30.54

$1.70 ฿55.3

434.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.79 TMT 26.18

$2.39 ฿78.0

225.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TMT 12.19

$2.08 ฿67.7

74.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.83

$1.59 ฿51.8

46.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 TMT 6.13

$1.48 ฿48.31

22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$1.03 ฿33.54

99.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.76

$0.52 ฿16.83

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.97 TMT 87.3

$4.25 ฿138

511.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.39 TMT 139

$18.79 ฿612

120.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 TMT 15.62

$1.76 ฿57.2

164.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.71

$2.76 ฿89.8

4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.45

$1.36 ฿44.32

-89.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 TMT 29.09

$11.36 ฿370

-23.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 TMT 9.49

$3.14 ฿102

-10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 TMT 2.73

$1.04 ฿33.74

-22.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 TMT 29.14

$13.77 ฿448

-37.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.38

$1.34 ฿43.79

-69.40%

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

$43.3K TMT 145.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

56.47%

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

$56.3K TMT 189.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

66.38%

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

$569 TMT 1,913

$124 ฿4,025

360.77%

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

$58.1 TMT 195

$13.52 ฿440

329.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 TMT 340

$18.69 ฿609

441.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$198 TMT 667

$61.8 ฿2,013

221.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.60 TMT 150

$17.25 ฿562

158.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.56 TMT 48.91

$9.14 ฿298

59.30%

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

$22.76 TMT 76.5

$703 ฿22.9K

-96.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 86.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

61.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 TMT 223

$59.5 ฿1,937

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 407

$35.07 ฿1,142

245.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$305 TMT 1,025

$115 ฿3,754

164.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 TMT 626

$84.1 ฿2,737

121.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 TMT 3,839

$619 ฿20.1K

84.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 TMT 2,509

$433 ฿14.1K

72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 TMT 6,021

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 TMT 5,317

$1,511 ฿49.2K

4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 TMT 11.9K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-3.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 TMT 9,575

$2,626 ฿85.5K

8.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$761 TMT 2,557

$507 ฿16.5K

50.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

5.33

78.24%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Ashgabat and $619 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: $87.0 in Ashgabat vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $293 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 149% in total monthly costs ($3,146 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ashgabat pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,143 in Ashgabat versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.76 in Ashgabat versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 128% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,146 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 149% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.