Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Turkmenistan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Turkmenistan

Name: Turkmenistan
Address: TM

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $1,371 in Turkmenistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $2,069 in Turkmenistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $2,766 in Turkmenistan.

Living in China costs about 47% less than in Turkmenistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Turkmenistan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$29.11 TMT 97.8

-89.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$87.0 TMT 292

-73.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$13.06 TMT 43.89

-61.18%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$7.04 TMT 23.66

-58.24%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$2.69 TMT 9.04

-82.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.88 TMT 2.94

-65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$5.41 TMT 18.18

-80.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$12.64 TMT 42.46

-82.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$4.37 TMT 14.69

-59.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.94 TMT 6.53

-12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$5.64 TMT 18.97

-82.98%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$5.95 TMT 20.00

-72.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$34.21 TMT 115

-60.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$18.54 TMT 62.3

-81.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$25.24 TMT 84.8

-56.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$4.38 TMT 14.70

-58.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$8.69 TMT 29.20

-85.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$7.40 TMT 24.87

-80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$3.76 TMT 12.65

-65.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$2.36 TMT 7.92

-69.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.45 TMT 4.89

-35.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$2.69 TMT 9.05

-77.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$1.15 TMT 3.87

-51.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$26.12 TMT 87.8

-85.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$39.26 TMT 132

-69.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$5.06 TMT 17.00

-83.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.90 TMT 9.73

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.15 TMT 0.49

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$9.97 TMT 33.51

126.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.91 TMT 9.77

-50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.89 TMT 2.97

-61.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$8.79 TMT 29.54

-17.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.45 TMT 1.51

173.33%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$44.1K TMT 148.1K

-55.68%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$57.6K TMT 193.6K

-70.07%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$571 TMT 1,917

-90.28%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$54.4 TMT 183

-84.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$100 TMT 337

-89.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$195 TMT 656

-79.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$45.39 TMT 153

-67.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$8.55 TMT 28.73

-21.29%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$22.87 TMT 76.9

1885.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$24.5K TMT 82.4K

-20.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$56.5 TMT 190

-20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$117 TMT 392

-69.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$371 TMT 1,248

-79.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$189 TMT 636

-59.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$1,108 TMT 3,724

-65.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$989 TMT 3,322

-75.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$1,812 TMT 6,090

-53.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$1,890 TMT 6,351

-74.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$3,596 TMT 12.1K

28.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$2,814 TMT 9,454

-17.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$679 TMT 2,280

56.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.5

-63.47%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Turkmenistan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $189 in Turkmenistan. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,135 in Ashgabat.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $489 in Turkmenistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in Turkmenistan.

Public transport is 750% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 77% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Turkmenistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,698 in Turkmenistan, there's a 99% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Turkmenistan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Turkmenistan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Turkmenistan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.