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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,095 in Turkmenabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,354 in Turkmenabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,613 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 6% below, Turkmenabat is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$57.7 TMT 194

-92.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$113 TMT 380

-58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$7.30 TMT 24.54

-58.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.82 TMT 2.75

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.56 TMT 18.69

-55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$14.51 TMT 48.75

-74.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$4.33 TMT 14.54

-49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.24 TMT 14.25

-48.11%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.66 TMT 29.10

-57.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.17 TMT 14.01

-22.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$7.94 TMT 26.68

-78.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$6.38 TMT 21.43

-62.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.03 TMT 6.81

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.15 TMT 3.88

38.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.87 TMT 2.93

70.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.11 TMT 3.73

-53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$28.41 TMT 95.5

-85.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.16 TMT 0.54

750.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.68 TMT 29.16

30.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.64 TMT 29.02

59.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.45 TMT 1.51

197.78%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

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

$124 ฿4,025

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

$13.52 ฿440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$428 TMT 1,437

-95.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$84.6 TMT 284

-26.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.04 TMT 70.7

-18.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$17.23 TMT 57.9

-46.95%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$57.2 TMT 192

1129.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$56.5 TMT 190

-37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$420 TMT 1,411

-72.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$488 TMT 1,638

-82.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$481 TMT 1,617

28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$291 TMT 977

48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,149 TMT 3,861

79.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$579 TMT 1,945

161.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$521 TMT 1,752

-2.77%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Turkmenabat: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $481 in Turkmenabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turkmenabat pays 3% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $113 in Turkmenabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Turkmenabat earns 3% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $481 in Turkmenabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,095 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 66% less than in Turkmenabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.