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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,141 in Turkmenabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,380 in Turkmenabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,619 in Turkmenabat.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Turkmenabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Turkmenabat is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$58.1 TMT 203

-92.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$113 TMT 395

-58.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$7.25 TMT 25.38

-58.62%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.87 TMT 3.06

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.82 TMT 20.36

-58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$14.35 TMT 50.2

-74.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$4.39 TMT 15.36

-48.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$4.17 TMT 14.58

-46.28%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.39 TMT 29.37

-56.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.37 TMT 15.31

-22.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$7.84 TMT 27.45

-79.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$6.34 TMT 22.17

-61.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.06 TMT 7.19

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.17 TMT 4.09

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.85 TMT 2.97

76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.12 TMT 3.93

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$28.73 TMT 101

-84.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.15 TMT 0.54

833.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.64 TMT 30.24

32.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.67 TMT 30.34

62.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.41 TMT 1.44

229.27%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$420 TMT 1,472

-95.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$85.0 TMT 297

-27.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$20.79 TMT 72.8

-19.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$17.03 TMT 59.6

-46.04%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$58.2 TMT 204

1100.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$57.9 TMT 203

-39.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$424 TMT 1,484

-73.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$493 TMT 1,724

-82.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$490 TMT 1,714

25.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$286 TMT 1,001

56.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,126 TMT 3,941

81.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$582 TMT 2,036

156.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$507 TMT 1,776

3.24%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Turkmenabat: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $490 in Turkmenabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $113 in Turkmenabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $226, 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 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $490 in Turkmenabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $58.2 in Turkmenabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Turkmenabat pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,141 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 74% less than in Turkmenabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.