Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mary and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $468 a month against $3,367 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $34,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$468

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mary and in Ashgabat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mary and in Ashgabat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $468 in Mary versus $3,367 in Ashgabat.

Mary $468
Ashgabat $3,367

Estimated couple costs with rent: $710 in Mary versus $5,093 in Ashgabat.

Mary $710
Ashgabat $5,093

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $951 in Mary versus $6,820 in Ashgabat.

Mary $951
Ashgabat $6,820

Living in Mary costs roughly 86% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mary is 65% below, Ashgabat is 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 TMT 38.59

$30.92 TMT 104

-62.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 TMT 290

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 TMT 28.51

$13.08 TMT 43.94

-35.09%

Cappuccino

$8.38 TMT 28.17

$6.94 TMT 23.33

20.75%

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

$12.61 TMT 42.36

$1.58 TMT 5.32

698.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 TMT 4.71

$0.84 TMT 2.83

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.55 TMT 48.90

$5.78 TMT 19.42

151.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.63 TMT 39.07

$13.40 TMT 45.02

-13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 TMT 9.78

$4.41 TMT 14.82

-34.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 TMT 20.12

Eggs

$6.95 TMT 23.34

$5.85 TMT 19.65

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.82 TMT 127

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.59 TMT 65.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 TMT 77.4

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 TMT 7.45

$5.19 TMT 17.45

-57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$8.41 TMT 28.24

Oranges (1kg)

$7.69 TMT 25.83

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 TMT 4.88

$3.57 TMT 11.99

-59.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 TMT 6.56

$2.31 TMT 7.74

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 TMT 5.70

$1.42 TMT 4.76

19.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 TMT 9.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TMT 3.88

$1.10 TMT 3.69

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.79 TMT 56.4

$25.46 TMT 85.6

-34.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.36 TMT 139

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.16 TMT 17.35

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 TMT 9.77

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.01 TMT 33.62

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 TMT 9.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 TMT 2.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 TMT 28.54

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.50

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

$44.2K TMT 148.4K

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

$56.7K TMT 190.4K

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

$567 TMT 1,905

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

$56.8 TMT 191

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 345

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$192 TMT 645

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.98 TMT 148

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 TMT 29.50

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

$23.20 TMT 77.9

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K TMT 83.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 TMT 189

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 385

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$368 TMT 1,238

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 TMT 655

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 TMT 4,745

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 TMT 3,298

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 TMT 7,636

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 TMT 6,582

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 TMT 12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,851 TMT 9,580

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$212 TMT 712

$738 TMT 2,478

-71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

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

Last update for Mary: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$982 29.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$727 21.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$666 19.8%

Eating Out

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$435 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$330 9.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$210 6.2%

Getting Around

Mary

–

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Cost Breakdown

Ashgabat pays 248% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Mary

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

Same time as Mary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,000

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mary Ashgabat 310 km

From you

Mary
Ashgabat

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

Mary vs Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary and Ashgabat differ by about 619% in total monthly costs ($468 vs $3,367 including rent). Mary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 248% lower in Ashgabat. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 577% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $468 per month in Mary versus $3,367 in Ashgabat – a 619% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $468 in Mary versus $3,367 in Ashgabat, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Mary 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, Mary and Ashgabat 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 Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 619% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.