Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Turkmenabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Turkmenabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,122 in Turkmenabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,396 in Turkmenabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,670 in Turkmenabat.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Turkmenabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Turkmenabat is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$56.5 TMT 190

-92.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$115 TMT 386

-60.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$7.21 TMT 24.21

-58.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.87 TMT 2.93

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$5.81 TMT 19.52

-56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$14.36 TMT 48.27

-73.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$4.32 TMT 14.53

-50.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.19 TMT 14.09

-47.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.80 TMT 29.57

-58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.24 TMT 14.26

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$8.21 TMT 27.59

-80.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$6.45 TMT 21.69

-63.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.05 TMT 6.90

0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.17 TMT 3.94

32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.89 TMT 2.98

64.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.13 TMT 3.78

-57.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$28.65 TMT 96.3

-84.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.15 TMT 0.51

846.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.68 TMT 29.16

33.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.72 TMT 29.31

59.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.42 TMT 1.40

219.05%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$123 ฿4,105

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

$13.77 ฿459

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$422 TMT 1,417

-95.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$86.0 TMT 289

-29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.38 TMT 71.8

-19.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$17.20 TMT 57.8

-48.43%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$57.2 TMT 192

1102.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$57.5 TMT 193

-39.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$428 TMT 1,439

-73.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$480 TMT 1,612

-82.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$477 TMT 1,602

30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$281 TMT 944

58.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,165 TMT 3,916

74.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$569 TMT 1,913

162.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$516 TMT 1,734

-4.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Turkmenabat: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $477 in Turkmenabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turkmenabat pays 5% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $115 in Turkmenabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $229, with Turkmenabat cheaper for home cooking.

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 Turkmenabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Turkmenabat. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $477 in Turkmenabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $57.2 in Turkmenabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Turkmenabat pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,122 in Turkmenabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Turkmenabat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Turkmenabat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Turkmenabat 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 68% less than in Turkmenabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.