Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ashgabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ashgabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,448 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $5,119 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $6,790 in Ashgabat.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 64% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Ashgabat is 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$32.00 TMT 107

-86.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$85.9 TMT 288

-62.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$12.70 TMT 42.55

-29.69%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$6.99 TMT 23.41

-58.51%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.56 TMT 5.22

-43.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.83 TMT 2.79

-42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$5.54 TMT 18.56

-57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$13.38 TMT 44.83

-72.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$4.40 TMT 14.73

-57.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.08 TMT 6.97

-29.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$5.99 TMT 20.06

-74.12%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.90 TMT 19.78

-64.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$38.28 TMT 128

-48.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$19.69 TMT 66.0

-82.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$22.82 TMT 76.5

-50.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.14 TMT 17.23

-42.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$8.64 TMT 28.94

-80.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$7.49 TMT 25.08

-70.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.79 TMT 12.70

-43.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.34 TMT 7.85

-35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.44 TMT 4.83

-6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.75 TMT 9.21

-58.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.13 TMT 3.78

-51.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$25.85 TMT 86.6

-83.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$41.91 TMT 140

-54.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$5.06 TMT 16.96

-64.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.89 TMT 9.69

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.14 TMT 0.46

1492.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$10.13 TMT 33.94

124.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.84 TMT 9.51

6.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.89 TMT 2.99

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.54 TMT 28.62

-54.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.41 TMT 1.38

263.41%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$43.7K TMT 146.3K

-39.15%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$56.1K TMT 187.9K

-51.81%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$578 TMT 1,937

-82.28%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$56.6 TMT 190

-79.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$101 TMT 339

-82.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$192 TMT 643

-72.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$45.06 TMT 151

-75.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.32 TMT 27.89

-7.57%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$22.71 TMT 76.1

2368.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$24.4K TMT 81.8K

-52.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$55.1 TMT 185

14.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$115 TMT 385

-74.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$358 TMT 1,200

-72.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$196 TMT 657

-54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,140 TMT 3,817

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$992 TMT 3,322

-51.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,256 TMT 7,557

-6.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,942 TMT 6,506

-36.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,617 TMT 12.1K

-0.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,838 TMT 9,506

-8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$743 TMT 2,488

-33.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.5

-41.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,140 in Ashgabat. 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $86.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $670 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

Phuket vs Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ashgabat differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $3,448 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $22.71 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 145% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,448 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, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.