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: $712 in China versus $965 in Turkmenistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,513 in Turkmenistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $2,061 in Turkmenistan.

Living in China costs about 26% less than in Turkmenistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Turkmenistan 28% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Turkmenistan: monthly costs span $14.00 to $3,149, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in Turkmenistan.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$34.43 TMT 116

-91.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$86.8 TMT 292

-73.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$12.73 TMT 42.77

-61.98%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$7.17 TMT 24.11

-56.62%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$3.21 TMT 10.78

-86.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.72 TMT 2.43

-59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$5.03 TMT 16.90

-80.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$14.30 TMT 48.06

-85.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$4.52 TMT 15.19

-59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$2.45 TMT 8.23

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$5.26 TMT 17.68

-82.32%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$6.43 TMT 21.60

-74.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$39.68 TMT 133

-66.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$16.00 TMT 53.8

-79.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$18.68 TMT 62.8

-43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$4.38 TMT 14.73

-58.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$7.86 TMT 26.41

-83.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$6.62 TMT 22.23

-77.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$3.14 TMT 10.54

-61.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$1.69 TMT 5.67

-55.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$1.28 TMT 4.29

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$1.94 TMT 6.53

-70.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$1.09 TMT 3.66

-50.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$28.43 TMT 95.5

-87.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$40.42 TMT 136

-70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$4.66 TMT 15.66

-82.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$2.93 TMT 9.84

-44.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.16 TMT 0.52

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$8.31 TMT 27.93

146.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$2.78 TMT 9.35

-51.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.81 TMT 2.73

-56.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$8.58 TMT 28.84

-24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$0.44 TMT 1.49

154.55%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$44.4K TMT 149.1K

-56.12%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$57.3K TMT 192.5K

-70.58%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$563 TMT 1,893

-90.82%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$56.6 TMT 190

-82.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$186 TMT 624

-93.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$166 TMT 559

-76.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$44.91 TMT 151

-67.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$15.59 TMT 52.4

-59.08%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$34.18 TMT 115

1091.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$25.2K TMT 84.8K

-29.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$65.8 TMT 221

-30.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$100 TMT 337

-67.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$388 TMT 1,303

-81.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$287 TMT 963

-74.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$1,058 TMT 3,553

-58.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$650 TMT 2,184

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$1,665 TMT 5,596

-45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$1,382 TMT 4,645

-60.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$3,590 TMT 12.1K

37.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$2,898 TMT 9,738

-17.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$656 TMT 2,204

62.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.5

-52.24%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Turkmenistan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $265 in Turkmenistan. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,109 in Ashgabat.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $499 in Turkmenistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in China.

Dining out costs 62% more in Turkmenistan.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 71% 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 $862 per month in China and $1,582 in Turkmenistan, there's a 83% 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.